The House prosecution panel has asked the Senate Impeachment Court to subpoena National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag as a key witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
In a request for the issuance of subpoenas ad testificandum filed Tuesday, prosecutors said Matibag’s testimony is “material, relevant and necessary” to proving Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment.
Article IV accuses Duterte of making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
Prosecutors identified Matibag as one of the principal witnesses they intend to present during the hearings scheduled on July 13, 14, and 15.
They said his testimony would help establish the allegations under Article IV and authenticate evidence to be presented before the impeachment court.
Matibag is expected to testify on the NBI’s investigation into Duterte’s widely publicized statements allegedly threatening the President, the First Lady, and the former Speaker.
As head of the country’s premier investigative agency, Matibag is expected to explain the basis of the bureau’s investigation, the evidence gathered, and the findings that led the NBI to treat Duterte’s statements as warranting criminal investigation.
The prosecution is also expected to use his testimony to authenticate investigative records and digital evidence gathered by the NBI.
His testimony could provide the impeachment court with the law enforcement perspective on how the statements were evaluated and why they were treated as a matter of national concern.
The request supports one of the prosecution’s central arguments under Article IV: that the alleged threats were not mere political hyperbole, but serious statements that triggered a formal NBI investigation and prompted security measures by other state agencies.
If the impeachment court grants the request, Matibag is expected to take the witness stand beginning July 13 as prosecutors present evidence on the grave threats article against Duterte.