National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag will be the prosecution panel’s last witness to wrap up Article IV before the impeachment court, the panel said on Wednesday.
The bureau director will be presented before the court and testify regarding allegations of grave threats against Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday next week, the House panel announced during a press conference this evening.
“Ang huling testigo para sa Article IV threat, who is Atty. Melvin Matibag, the NBI director, ay mapapasalang sa Tuesday, at ang kasunod po nito ay ang pag-uumpisa na ng presentation of witnesses on confidential fund,” said Lead Prosecutor Gerville Luistro.
The prosecutors hope that his testimony will tie any loose ends left and further solidify their case as “comprehensive and clear” before they proceed to Article I, the alleged misuse of confidential funds, prosecutor and Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Lorenz Defensor told reporters.
“We are trying a case for betrayal of public trust, at sa ebidensya pa lang na napakita ng prosekusyon sa una naming dalawang testigo, makikita na malinaw at matatag ang kaso,” Defensor said.
“After the testimony of Director Matibag, it will be the right time to stop. Naging matatag at malinaw ang aming pagpresenta ng ebidensya. Our witnesses, who are credible, has said that the case is airtight at sigurado sila that the threat is real,” he added.
Luistro clarified that Matibag is set to appear on Tuesday instead of Monday due to the court’s decision to deliberate on whether it will permit the issuance of a subpoena for Duterte’s pre-term Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents.
“As pronounced by the Presiding Officer, the senator-judges will be given time to raise questions to both the prosecution and the defense that is with respect to the subject matter of the oral argument—which is the validity of the issuance of subpoena of pre-term documents,” she explained.
Previously, Matibag was accused by Senator-Judge and Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano of “dictating” the flow of the impeachment court’s proceedings.
To this, Matibag responded that Cayetano likely had not read his request letter.
“Nagtataka rin po ako kung bakit naman ganon, kasi I respectfully requested the prosecution na kung maaari po sana paagahin ‘yung aking pagtestigo para mapuntahan ko po yung parehas na kaganapan,” he told DZRH.
