Manila: National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag will be asked to resolve unanswered questions left by the bureau's first two witnesses and complete the prosecution's presentation on the alleged threats of Vice President Sara Duterte. At a press briefing in the Senate, House impeachment trial spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur said Matibag would discuss the broader preliminary investigation undertaken by the NBI as an institution.
According to Philippines News Agency, the prosecution first presented NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung to authenticate the recordings containing Duterte's statements and establish the handling of the digital evidence. NBI Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional director Jeremy Lotoc subsequently testified about the Cybercrime Division's investigation and its findings concerning the recorded remarks.
Matibag is expected to address matters that could not be fully answered by witnesses whose knowledge was limited to their respective units and functions. 'So ito ang magiging baga finale nitong Article 4, ang presentasyon ng House prosecution panel kay Director Matibag at ang pagbibigay niya ng (So, this will be the finale of Article 4, the presentation of the House prosecution panel of Director Matibag and his disposition of) information, facts surrounding the preliminary investigation conducted by the NBI,' Adiong said.
Article IV concerns Duterte's alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez. Adiong said Matibag would respond to questions from both the prosecution and defense based on his knowledge as the head of the investigating agency.
'What we would expect is Director Matibag to respond to the question by both panels,' he noted. 'We would expect him to inform the court or appraise the court based on the knowledge that he has surrounding the preliminary investigation,' Alonto Adiong added. The prosecution expects Matibag's testimony to complete its evidentiary presentation under Article IV before the trial proceeds to the confidential funds charge.
