The house of representatives prosecution panel said wednesday the testimony of national bureau of investigation (nbi) director melvin matibag has undermined the defense's claim that vice president sara duterte's alleged threat against president ferdinand r. marcos jr. and his family was merely conditional:he House of Representatives prosecution panel said Wednesday the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag has undermined the defense's claim that Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged threat against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his family was merely conditional, saying the bureau's investigation found it to be a concerted and active threat. According to Philippines News Agency, lawyer Benjamin 'Jay' Tolosa Jr., legal spokesperson and counsel for the House prosecutors, said Matibag's testimony before the Senate impeachment court showed that the NBI examined the totality of the circumstances surrounding Duterte's Nov. 23, 2024 remarks rather than treating them as an isolated viral video.
'Malinaw na 'yan mismo ang sinabi ng NBI Director Matibag kahapon. Nang tingnan itong totality of circumstances, naging malinaw sa kanila na hindi isang viral video lamang. Ito ay isang (It was clear from what Matibag said yesterday. When the totality of the circumstances was examined, it was made clear to them that this is not just a mere viral video, this is a) concerted and active threat,' Tolosa said at a press briefing.
He said the bureau's findings reinforced the prosecution's position that Duterte's statements reflected more than a conditional threat. 'Makikita sa pamilya nila, pare-pareho 'yung sinasabi, gusto nila ang ulo ng Presidente. So tama ho 'yan. We agree with the statement na mas pinagtibayan pa nito na talagang may plano talaga. And in fact, again, nagkaroon ng kasunduan para isagawa itong plano na 'to (It can be seen from their family, they were saying the same thing, they want the head of the President. We agree with the statement that it reinforces that there was really a plan. And in fact, there was an agreement to proceed with the plan),' he said.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union said Matibag's testimony completed the prosecution's presentation by placing the evidence in its broader context. He added that the evidence presented before the impeachment court consistently pointed to an active threat rather than a conditional one. 'Kumbaga sa buzzwords, parang maririnig mo na lang palagi, ulo, pugot, libing, hukay, bloodbath, dugo, parang yun na lang yung mga buzzwords na lumalabas eh. Nakakalungkot. Nakakaalarma actually (Like in buzzwords, you can always hear, head, decapitate, funeral, grave, bloodbath, blood, it's like the only buzzwords coming out. It's disappointing, actually alarming),' Ortega said.
'Kaya again, never naman na conditional threat 'yung pagkakatingin natin dito. Talagang active threat po talaga siya, which continues to be, alam naman ng taumbayan, nakikita nila 'yung mga nangyayari (as we see it, this was never a conditional threat. This is really an active threat, which continues to be, and the public knows, they can see what's happening).'
House prosecutor and 1-RIDER Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez noted that the prosecution was relying on the NBI's institutional findings, while emphasizing that the Senate impeachment court alone has the authority to determine their weight. 'We don't want to prejudge it, and we definitely don't want to say any conclusion of laws here. But as Attorney Jay said, this is the report of the NBI,' Gutierrez said.
'It's an institutional report that he already testified to. And we have to remember that this is the NBI's conclusion. It's not final judgment for the impeachment court, but it is evidence definitely that should be weighed by the court.'
