Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to explain the basis for focusing its investigation on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged threat against the President while not pursuing her other statements.
During the eighth day of Vice President Duterte’s impeachment trial on July 21, 2026, Cayetano asked NBI Director Melvin Matibag how the agency decided to investigate the alleged threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. while not looking into the Vice President’s other claims made in the same video.
Cayetano pointed out that in the same video presented during the trial, Duterte also said there was a threat against her life and alleged widespread corruption in the government.
“Simple question: paano ang naging process kung anong parts ng video at ng statement niya ang paniniwalaan mo or ng task force?… Ano ang process niyo kung anong parts ng video ang paniniwalaan niyo at hindi?” Cayetano asked Matibag.
Matibag replied that the NBI focused its investigation on the portion of the statement in which Duterte allegedly ordered the killing of three government officials and emphasized that it was “no joke.”
According to the NBI chief, the agency considered that statement as a possible violation of the law and a matter involving national security.
Cayetano, however, continued to press the issue.
“If you’re gonna believe that she contracted or may kausap siya at papapatay y’ung tatlo, will you not believe the previous [statement] nung sinabi niyang ‘kung ako naman ang papatayin?’”
Matibag responded that the statement, “kung papatayin ako,” was treated only as part of the context surrounding the alleged threat and was not the subject of the investigation.
Cayetano then asked why the NBI believed one part of the Vice President’s statements but not the others.
“Pero ang question ko, paano y’ung proseso niyo or y’ung naging thinking niyo na itong ipapapatay y’ung Presidente [ay] pinaniniwalaan [niyo,] pero itong siya ang papatayin [siya ay] hindi [niyo] paniniwalaan, at itong graft and corruption [ay] hindi rin [niyo] paniniwalaan. What’s the process there?”
Matibag maintained that the investigation was based on the possible offense of grave threats and its implications for national security.
Before concluding his questioning, Cayetano clarified that he was not disputing the witness’s testimony but wanted to understand the NBI’s reasoning.
“OK, I won’t argue with you. Iyan y’ung proseso niyo,” Cayetano said.