Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, presiding officer of the Senate Impeachment Court, on Tuesday, July 21, admonished National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag for making statements against some members of the court.

Escudero made the remark at the start of the trial after the House prosecution panel formally introduced Matibag as their third witness under Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment.

“Dir. Matibag, the chair would like to remind and admonish you on behalf of the Impeachment Court to kindly avoid statements pertaining to individual members of the Impeachment Court, without prejudice to any investigation you are undertaking,” Escudero said.

“You may do so, but without need of issuing statements that may impinge upon the independence and integrity of the court or the individual senator-judges,” he added.

To this, Escudero said, the statements made by the Cayetano siblings last July 15, as well as the statements Matibag made and the video presented in the Impeachment Court, will be referred to the Senate as a legislative body and be referred to the appropriate committees, particularly the Senate Committee on Rules. 

The presiding officer said the matter will be taken up by the Senate, as a legislative body, and not in the impeachment court. 

“I hope you understand the reminder and admonishment of this chair,” Escudero told Matibag. 

Last week, Senator-judges Alan Peter Cayetano and his sister, Pia Cayetano criticized the NBI chief after the latter made an announcement declaring that the NBI is investigating the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games announcement.

The siblings accused the NBI official of using the SEA Games probe to intimidate and distract them especially as they are sitting as senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. 

But Matibag denied this saying he did not "commit any violation” and that he has “full respect for the Senate Impeachment Court.”