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Cayetano questions bid to move NBI chief’s testimony

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Cayetano questions bid to move NBI chief’s testimony

Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday questioned the House prosecution panel’s request to advance the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying it was “in bad taste” for a bureau head to dictate the schedule of the Senate impeachment court.

The issue arose after House prosecutor Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor asked the impeachment court to allow Matibag to take the witness stand on Tuesday after the NBI chief requested that his testimony be advanced from its originally scheduled date due to an official commitment abroad.

In a July 10 letter to the House prosecution panel, Matibag said he would be attending a summit on scams and transnational organized crime in Thailand with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Thai Police on July 21 and 22.

He requested that his testimony be scheduled at the earliest setting convenient to the Panel or on or before July 20.

The defense opposed the request, citing witness scheduling rules and its right to prepare for cross-examination. It also sought copies of Matibag’s summit invitation and travel authority, prompting the court to defer action pending their submission.

While saying he understood the prosecution’s efforts to adjust its presentation of witnesses, Cayetano stressed that government officials should not dictate the timetable of the impeachment court.

“I find it in bad taste that a bureau head will dictate to us that he’s not available next week,” Cayetano said on July 13, 2026.

He noted that senator-judges have already set aside legislative work, oversight responsibilities, official travel, and constituency engagements to fulfill their constitutional duty as members of the impeachment court.

“The whole government, nakatutok [sa impeachment trial]. We put aside so many important things. And then one witness, who is in the government, who is a bureau head, will tell us ‘sorry’ because he has to be with the FBI [at] siya na y’ung mauna tomorrow? That might be a bad precedent,” he said.

Cayetano clarified that his remarks were not directed at the prosecution’s strategy but at preserving the integrity of the court’s procedures.

He recalled that Matibag was not originally expected to testify during the fourth week of trial and said a sudden change in the witness lineup could affect the preparation of senator-judges and the orderly presentation of evidence.

As previously agreed by both parties during pre-trial and in open court, witnesses not identified in the pre-trial order must be given at least five days’ notice before they are presented, while witnesses scheduled for the succeeding week are announced three days in advance.

Cayetano said these procedures were adopted to ensure fairness and orderly proceedings. He also said he hoped the request would not become a precedent, particularly for senior government officials appearing before the impeachment court.

“I hope it doesn’t become a rule, especially for a bureau head. I don’t think it’s really a good rule,” he said.

“Rules are important. We will not be able to move faster if we have to accommodate witnesses, especially if they’re in government,” he added.

Cayetano kinuwestiyon ang maagang pagtestigo ng hepe ng NBI

Kinuwestiyon ni Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano ang hiling ng House prosecution panel na mailipat sa mas maagang schedule ang pagtestigo ni National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte.

Ayon kay Cayetano, hindi dapat ang isang pinuno ng ahensya ng gobyerno ang nagdidikta kung kailan siya haharap sa impeachment court.

Ito ay matapos hilingin ni House prosecutor at Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor sa impeachment court na payagang tumestigo si Matibag sa Martes. Ayon sa prosecution panel, hiniling ng hepe ng NBI na maisulong ang kanyang pagharap sa korte ng mas maaga kaysa sa original nito na schedule dahil sa kanyang byahe sa ibang bansa.

Sa isang liham ni Matibag na ipinadala sa House prosecution panel noong July 10, sinabi niyang dadalo siya sa isang summit tungkol sa scams at transnational organized crime sa Thailand kasama ang Federal Bureau of Investigation at Royal Thai Police sa July 21 at 22.

Dahil dito, hiniling niyang maisagawa ang kanyang pagtestigo sa mas maagang petsa na angkop sa House prosecution panel, o bago sumapit ang July 20.

Tumutol naman ang defense team at iginiit nitong may umiiral na mga patakaran sa pag-schedule ng mga testigo at kailangan din nitong magkaroon ng sapat na panahon upang makapaghanda para sa cross-examination.

Hiniling din ng defense team ang kopya ng imbitasyon ni Matibag sa summit at ng kanyang travel authority. Dahil dito, ipinagpaliban muna ng impeachment court ang pagresolba sa hiling habang hinihintay ang mga dokumentong ito.

Bagama’t sinabi niyang nauunawaan niya ang layunin ng prosecution na ayusin ang presentasyon ng kanilang mga testigo, iginiit ni Cayetano na hindi dapat ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno ang nagtatakda ng schedule ng impeachment court.

“I find it in bad taste that a bureau head will dictate to us that he’s not available next week,” sabi ni Cayetano nitong July 13, 2026.

Binigyang diin niya na marami nang isinantabi ang mga senator-judge, kabilang ang kanilang kanilang legislative work, oversight responsibilities, mga opisyal na biyahe, at mga tungkulin sa kanilang mga nasasakupan upang gampanan ang kanilang responsibilidad bilang mga miyembro ng impeachment court.

“The whole government, nakatutok [sa impeachment trial]. We put aside so many important things. And then one witness, who is in the government, who is a bureau head, will tell us ‘sorry’ because he has to be with the FBI [at] siya na y’ung mauna tomorrow? That might be a bad precedent,” wika niya.

Nilinaw ni Cayetano na hindi ang strategy ng prosecution ang kanyang tinututulan kundi ang pagpapanatili ng maayos at patas na proseso ng impeachment court.

Ipinaalala rin niya na hindi naman nakatakdang tumestigo si Matibag sa ikaapat na linggo ng paglilitis. Aniya, ang biglaang pagbabago sa listahan ng mga testigo ay maaaring makaapekto sa paghahanda ng mga senator-judge at sa maayos na presentasyon ng ebidensya.

Ipinaalala rin ni Cayetano na napagkasunduan na ng prosecution at defense teams sa pre-trial at maging sa open court na ang mga testigong wala sa pre-trial order ay kailangang ipaalam nang hindi bababa sa limang araw bago sila iharap sa korte.

Samantala, ang mga testigong nakatakda sa susunod na linggo ay dapat ipaalam ng tatlong araw bago ang kanilang pagharap.

Aniya, itinakda ang mga patakarang ito upang matiyak ang pagiging patas at maayos na daloy ng paglilitis.

Umaasa rin siyang hindi ito magiging pamantayan para sa mga susunod na testigo, lalo na sa mga matataas na opisyal ng pamahalaan.

“I hope it doesn’t become a rule, especially for a bureau head. I don’t think it’s really a good rule,” sabi niya.

“Rules are important. We will not be able to move faster if we have to accommodate witnesses, especially if they’re in government,” dagdag niya.

Cayetano questions bid to move NBI chief’s testimony

Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday questioned the House prosecution panel’s request to advance the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying it was “in bad taste” for a bureau head to dictate the schedule of the Senate impeachment court.

The issue arose after House prosecutor Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor asked the impeachment court to allow Matibag to take the witness stand on Tuesday after the NBI chief requested that his testimony be advanced from its originally scheduled date due to an official commitment abroad.

In a July 10 letter to the House prosecution panel, Matibag said he would be attending a summit on scams and transnational organized crime in Thailand with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Thai Police on July 21 and 22.

He requested that his testimony be scheduled at the earliest setting convenient to the Panel or on or before July 20.

The defense opposed the request, citing witness scheduling rules and its right to prepare for cross-examination. It also sought copies of Matibag’s summit invitation and travel authority, prompting the court to defer action pending their submission.

While saying he understood the prosecution’s efforts to adjust its presentation of witnesses, Cayetano stressed that government officials should not dictate the timetable of the impeachment court.

“I find it in bad taste that a bureau head will dictate to us that he’s not available next week,” Cayetano said on July 13, 2026.

He noted that senator-judges have already set aside legislative work, oversight responsibilities, official travel, and constituency engagements to fulfill their constitutional duty as members of the impeachment court.

“The whole government, nakatutok [sa impeachment trial]. We put aside so many important things. And then one witness, who is in the government, who is a bureau head, will tell us ‘sorry’ because he has to be with the FBI [at] siya na y’ung mauna tomorrow? That might be a bad precedent,” he said.

Cayetano clarified that his remarks were not directed at the prosecution’s strategy but at preserving the integrity of the court’s procedures.

He recalled that Matibag was not originally expected to testify during the fourth week of trial and said a sudden change in the witness lineup could affect the preparation of senator-judges and the orderly presentation of evidence.

As previously agreed by both parties during pre-trial and in open court, witnesses not identified in the pre-trial order must be given at least five days’ notice before they are presented, while witnesses scheduled for the succeeding week are announced three days in advance.

Cayetano said these procedures were adopted to ensure fairness and orderly proceedings. He also said he hoped the request would not become a precedent, particularly for senior government officials appearing before the impeachment court.

“I hope it doesn’t become a rule, especially for a bureau head. I don’t think it’s really a good rule,” he said.

“Rules are important. We will not be able to move faster if we have to accommodate witnesses, especially if they’re in government,” he added.

Cayetano kinuwestiyon ang maagang pagtestigo ng hepe ng NBI

Kinuwestiyon ni Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano ang hiling ng House prosecution panel na mailipat sa mas maagang schedule ang pagtestigo ni National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte.

Ayon kay Cayetano, hindi dapat ang isang pinuno ng ahensya ng gobyerno ang nagdidikta kung kailan siya haharap sa impeachment court.

Ito ay matapos hilingin ni House prosecutor at Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor sa impeachment court na payagang tumestigo si Matibag sa Martes. Ayon sa prosecution panel, hiniling ng hepe ng NBI na maisulong ang kanyang pagharap sa korte ng mas maaga kaysa sa original nito na schedule dahil sa kanyang byahe sa ibang bansa.

Sa isang liham ni Matibag na ipinadala sa House prosecution panel noong July 10, sinabi niyang dadalo siya sa isang summit tungkol sa scams at transnational organized crime sa Thailand kasama ang Federal Bureau of Investigation at Royal Thai Police sa July 21 at 22.

Dahil dito, hiniling niyang maisagawa ang kanyang pagtestigo sa mas maagang petsa na angkop sa House prosecution panel, o bago sumapit ang July 20.

Tumutol naman ang defense team at iginiit nitong may umiiral na mga patakaran sa pag-schedule ng mga testigo at kailangan din nitong magkaroon ng sapat na panahon upang makapaghanda para sa cross-examination.

Hiniling din ng defense team ang kopya ng imbitasyon ni Matibag sa summit at ng kanyang travel authority. Dahil dito, ipinagpaliban muna ng impeachment court ang pagresolba sa hiling habang hinihintay ang mga dokumentong ito.

Bagama’t sinabi niyang nauunawaan niya ang layunin ng prosecution na ayusin ang presentasyon ng kanilang mga testigo, iginiit ni Cayetano na hindi dapat ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno ang nagtatakda ng schedule ng impeachment court.

“I find it in bad taste that a bureau head will dictate to us that he’s not available next week,” sabi ni Cayetano nitong July 13, 2026.

Binigyang diin niya na marami nang isinantabi ang mga senator-judge, kabilang ang kanilang kanilang legislative work, oversight responsibilities, mga opisyal na biyahe, at mga tungkulin sa kanilang mga nasasakupan upang gampanan ang kanilang responsibilidad bilang mga miyembro ng impeachment court.

“The whole government, nakatutok [sa impeachment trial]. We put aside so many important things. And then one witness, who is in the government, who is a bureau head, will tell us ‘sorry’ because he has to be with the FBI [at] siya na y’ung mauna tomorrow? That might be a bad precedent,” wika niya.

Nilinaw ni Cayetano na hindi ang strategy ng prosecution ang kanyang tinututulan kundi ang pagpapanatili ng maayos at patas na proseso ng impeachment court.

Ipinaalala rin niya na hindi naman nakatakdang tumestigo si Matibag sa ikaapat na linggo ng paglilitis. Aniya, ang biglaang pagbabago sa listahan ng mga testigo ay maaaring makaapekto sa paghahanda ng mga senator-judge at sa maayos na presentasyon ng ebidensya.

Ipinaalala rin ni Cayetano na napagkasunduan na ng prosecution at defense teams sa pre-trial at maging sa open court na ang mga testigong wala sa pre-trial order ay kailangang ipaalam nang hindi bababa sa limang araw bago sila iharap sa korte.

Samantala, ang mga testigong nakatakda sa susunod na linggo ay dapat ipaalam ng tatlong araw bago ang kanilang pagharap.

Aniya, itinakda ang mga patakarang ito upang matiyak ang pagiging patas at maayos na daloy ng paglilitis.

Umaasa rin siyang hindi ito magiging pamantayan para sa mga susunod na testigo, lalo na sa mga matataas na opisyal ng pamahalaan.

“I hope it doesn’t become a rule, especially for a bureau head. I don’t think it’s really a good rule,” sabi niya.

“Rules are important. We will not be able to move faster if we have to accommodate witnesses, especially if they’re in government,” dagdag niya.

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