Matibag responds to Cayetano: I’m not dictating impeachment court

MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag has responded to Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano’s remark that he was allegedly dictating to the impeachment court after he requested to defer his appearance as a witness for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Matibag recently sent a letter to Chief Impeachment Prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro to ask that his testimony before the Senate impeachment court be scheduled ahead of July 20, explaining that he will attend a regional summit on transnational crime hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Thai Police.

READ: Matibag seeks earlier date to testify in Duterte’s trial due to a summit

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Cayetano on Monday criticized Matibag’s request, pointing out that senator-judges themselves have set aside several important foreign and local trips to focus on the impeachment proceedings.

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“I find it in bad taste that a bureau head will dictate to us that he is not available next week,” Cayetano said.

Asked about the senator’s remark, Matibag said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday that Cayetano may not have read his request letter, emphasizing that he is not dictating the impeachment court.

“Actually he probably didn’t read the letter that I respectfully requested. I didn’t dictate” Matibag emphasized, speaking Filipino.

“I think we don’t have the power to dictate. We have high regards to the impeachment court and to the members of the impeachment court, the senator judges, the prosecution and defense,” he also said.

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READ: Bid to present Matibag deferred amid objection from senators, defense

The NBI Director also said he is willing to serve as a witness in the impeachment trial, adding that he will only tell the impeachment court what the documents and evidence show.

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The prosecution wants to present Matibag regarding Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which tackles the vice president’s threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. /jpv

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