Manila Bulletin
Philippines
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For Matibag, VP Duterte threat to kill PBBM is as good as a 'confession'
Philippines
National
For Matibag, VP Duterte threat to kill PBBM is as good as a 'confession'
For Matibag, VP Duterte threat to kill PBBM is as good as a 'confession'
Published Jul 21, 2026 04:43 pm
At A Glance
- NBI Director Melvin Matibag testifies that Vice President Sara Duterte's "death threat video" is not just a threat but a confession of a plan to kill President Marcos and members of the First Family.
- Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan objects to Matibag's use of the term "confession," but Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero overrules, allowing the statement to remain in the record as narration, not a conclusion of law.
- The prosecution presents Matibag as its final witness for article IV, which covers grave threats and inciting to sedition, with the NBI serving as the main agency that investigated Duterte's controversial video.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (House PPAB, Senate PRIB)
Not just a mere threat, but a confession of a plan to kill the President.
That's how prosecution witness, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag described impeachment trial respondent Vice President Sara Duterte's infamous "death threat video" against President Marcos and other members of the First Family.
"Para sa akin po, hindi na talaga ito banta, kung di isa na pong confession ng kanyang plano na pagpatay po sa ating Pangulo," Matibag said on Tuesday, July 21 during direct examination by lead prosecutor Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro before the Senate impeachment court.
(For me, this is no longer a threat, but a confession of his plan to kill our President.)
"Sapagkat makikita naman natin na sinabi niiya na mayroon akong kinausap at pumayag [yung kinausap] para patayin ang Presidente," added Matibag the prosecution panel's last witness for article IV of the articles of impeachment against Duterte covering the allegation of grave threats and inciting to sedition.
(Because we can see that he said he spoke to someone and that person agreed to kill the President.)
In the Nov. 23, 2024 video, Duterte said: “Huwag kang mag-alala, ma’am, sa security ko, kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM (Bongbong Marcos), si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke. Nagbilin na ako, ma’am, ’pag namatay ako, sabi ko, huwag ka tumigil, ha, hanggang ‘di mo mapatay sila. And then he said yes.”
(Don’t worry, ma’am, about my security, because I already spoke to someone. I told him, if I get killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke. I already instructed him, ma’am, if I die, don’t stop until you kill them. And then he said yes.)
Araneta-Marcos and Romualdez are the President's wife and cousin, respectively. The remarks were given during a virtual press conference of the Vice President and was widely viewed by netizens.
Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan objected to what Matibag said on the basis that it was a "conclusion of law". He asked presiding officer Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero to strike off the statements from the record.
Luistro opposed this, and said: "The witness is testifying as to what transpired during the investigation of special task force. He is testifying on the observation, accusation, and finding of the special task force.
"And this is the very purpose of presenting the testimony of NBI Director Melvin Matibag," underscored the lead prosecutor, who for the first time presented a witness in the high-stakes trial.
As if to find fault in Matibag’s statement, Vinluan noted, "Part of the witness's response is the use of the term 'confession', which is a legal term. The witness is a lawyer, he knows exactly what he is doing."
In the end, Escudero overruled the objection.
"Let it stay in the record as part of the narration of the witness but...for the senator-judges not to consider it as a conclusion of law, notwithstanding that the witness is the director of the NBI, and or is a lawyer or a former dean," he said.
"That is still not to be used by any of the senator-judges as a conclusion of law as to the fact in issue in this impeachment court," stressed the presiding officer.
National security threat
A point that was repeatedly mentioned by Matibag during direct examination was the respondent's remarks being a "threat to national security".
“From our law-enforcement perspective, ang ginawang banta ng Vice President ay tinatrato na namin hindi banta kundi isang plano para po sa pagpatay sa ating Pangulo.
(From our law-enforcement perspective, the threat made by the Vice President is treated not as a threat but as a plan to kill our President.)
"And that is a threat to the President which we consider also na threat na po sa ating national security," he said.
(And that is a threat to the President which we also consider a threat to our national security..)
Matibag also told the Senate impeachment court that the bureau formed a special task force to continue the investigation, monitor threats, and report developments requiring immediate action in connection with Duterte’s remarks.
He says the matter is a "continuing and open investigation".