By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team has yet to decide whether it will call National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag as one of its witnesses when the defense begins presenting its case before the Senate impeachment court.
Defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said Tuesday that no discussions have been held on the possibility of inviting Matibag to testify for the defense, stressing that the panel remains focused on the current phase of the impeachment proceedings.
The issue surfaced after Matibag, who appeared as the prosecution’s final witness on Article IV, told the impeachment court during cross-examination that he would be willing to meet with the defense in the same manner he had conferred with House prosecutors before taking the witness stand.
Matibag disclosed that he met with lead House prosecutor Gerville Luistro before his testimony, explaining that the meeting was limited to matters concerning the scope of his appearance before the court.
Responding to the NBI chief’s statement, Poa said the defense has not yet considered including Matibag among its witnesses.
“At this point, there have been no discussions on that. We will have to wait until it is our turn to present evidence before making such a decision,” Poa said.
He added that should circumstances change, the defense panel would evaluate whether Matibag’s testimony could become relevant to its case.
Poa also clarified that the defense questioned Matibag about his pre-testimony meeting with prosecutors merely to determine whether his testimony had been rehearsed.
He acknowledged, however, that there was nothing improper about the meeting after Matibag explained it dealt only with the scope of his testimony.
“That is normal, and that’s acceptable,” Poa said.
Matibag served as the prosecution’s third and final witness for Article IV, which centers on allegations that Duterte issued assassination threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez during an online briefing in November 2024.
With the prosecution expected to complete its presentation on Article IV, the Senate impeachment court is preparing to proceed to the next stage of the trial before the defense begins presenting its own evidence and witnesses.
ia/xf
