National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag said he was more concerned about the possibility of being threatened with contempt by the Senate impeachment court than the criticism he received over the bureau’s investigation into alleged anomalies involving the 2019 Southeast Asian Games facilities.
In an ambush interview, Matibag reacted to Senator-Judge Pia Cayetano’s earlier remark that the NBI’s actions were “possibly contemptible,” saying he was unsure where the statement was coming from.
“Mas nakakatakot nga po para sa aking testigo dahil parang may pagbabanta na nga ng contempt sa atin,” Matibag said.
Matibag emphasized that he was appearing in the impeachment trial as a witness and not as an accused party.
“Uulitin ko, tayo po ay kinuha based on the pre-trial order na testigo para sa prosecution at sa defense,” he said.
He maintained that the NBI’s investigation into the alleged irregularities surrounding the construction of the New Clark City Sports Complex was not intended as intimidation or a form of pressure against the Senate impeachment proceedings.
According to Matibag, the bureau is only carrying out its mandate after evidence surfaced regarding the reported nearly ₱10-billion unliquidated funds connected to the sports complex.
“Wala naman po tayong ginagawang paglabag,” Matibag said, adding that the NBI’s findings would be presented in relation to issues raised in the impeachment trial, particularly the allegations involving grave threats and inciting to sedition.
The investigation drew attention after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who headed the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) during the 2019 SEA Games, questioned its timing and described the accusations as “marites.”
Senator-judge Pia Cayetano also criticized the move, saying it could distract senator-judges from their duties in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
