National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said Wednesday that the alleged betrayal of public trust by Vice President Sara Duterte had already been “consummated,” citing her public admission in 2024 that she had contracted an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
During the ninth day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, defense counsel Mark Vinluan asked Matibag during cross-examination whether the NBI was conducting an ongoing investigation to substantiate the impeachment case against the vice president.
Matibag replied that further investigation was unnecessary on that ground, saying the act in question had already been established by Duterte’s own statements.
“The betrayal of public trust was already been consummated when she publicly admitted, there is already an admission that she contracted a killer, a mamamatay tao or assassin to kill the President,” Matibag told the impeachment court.
Matibag referred to a November 2024 online video conference in which Duterte allegedly said she had arranged for an assassin to kill Marcos should harm come to her. He added that the supposed admission alone constituted a violation of her oath of office.
“That itself is already an admission,” Matibag said, adding that such an act runs counter to the constitutional duty to uphold the law and ensure justice.
Vinluan moved to strike Matibag’s statements from the record, arguing that the witness had offered conclusions of fact and law beyond the scope of the question.
“My question was pretty simple,” Vinluan told the court, requesting that the testimony be excluded in line with a previous ruling.
Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro opposed the motion, saying the defense had opened the line of questioning and that Matibag’s response directly addressed whether a separate impeachment case would still be necessary if betrayal of public trust were proven.
Presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero denied the defense motion, allowing Matibag’s statements to remain on record.
Escudero earlier noted his interest in hearing the witness’s answer, saying Matibag was “competent enough” to respond to the question.
The impeachment trial remains in motion as both prosecution and defense present their arguments on whether Duterte’s actions constitute grounds for removal from office.
