National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Thursday said he would defer to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. following a call by Senator Imee Marcos for his temporary relief over the incident at the Senate involving Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Speaking at a Malacañang briefing, Matibag said the matter was within the authority of the President, who appointed him to the post.
“That’s the prerogative of the good senator,” Matibag said, referring to Senator Marcos’ appeal. He added that he serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority, the President.
Senator Marcos, in a letter to her brother, urged the President to temporarily relieve Matibag and two other NBI officials while an investigation is being conducted into what she described as the Senate “siege” on Wednesday.
The incident stemmed from reports of an alleged attempt to arrest dela Rosa, who is reportedly the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Matibag, however, denied that NBI personnel went to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building, where the Senate currently holds office, to arrest dela Rosa.
He maintained that the bureau was not conducting an arrest operation against the senator at the Senate premises.