PHOTO CREDIT: SENATE PH

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag took the witness stand on Tuesday as the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, heard his testimony on Article IV of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Article IV focuses on Duterte's alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez.

Lead House prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro presented Matibag as one of the prosecution's key witnesses to explain the findings of the NBI Special Task Force that investigated Duterte's controversial public statements and the criminal complaints that followed.

Matibag's testimony had been widely anticipated after House prosecutors described him as a crucial witness for Article IV. During the House impeachment proceedings earlier this year, the NBI chief testified that the video containing Duterte's controversial remarks was authentic and showed no signs of editing, alteration, or artificial intelligence manipulation. Prosecutors are relying on those findings to support their argument that the statements should be taken at face value.

During his direct examination, Matibag detailed how the NBI launched its investigation after Duterte's public remarks and formed a special task force to determine whether they constituted criminal threats. He told the impeachment court that the bureau followed standard investigative procedures before filing complaints with the Department of Justice.

The proceedings, however, were dominated by an extensive cross-examination by defense lawyer Mark Vinluan.

Vinluan questioned Matibag about meetings he attended with House prosecutors before taking the witness stand, asking whether he had been briefed on his testimony.

"You are confirming in open court that you discussed or you were briefed in that meeting based on your testimony?" Vinluan asked.

"I'm a lawyer and I know where you're going," Matibag replied, explaining that the discussions only covered the nature of his testimony.

Vinluan responded, "I don't think Director Matibag knows where I'm going….At any rate, your honor, I don't think we're calling him as a witness."

Another exchange centered on the legal concept of hearsay after Vinluan asked Matibag whether the Filipino equivalent of the term could simply be translated as "tsismis."

"Kung wala kang personal knowledge, tsismis lang 'yon, tama?" Vinluan asked.

Matibag disagreed, saying he had never encountered "tsismis" being used as the legal translation of hearsay throughout his years of practicing law.

Senator-Judge Pia Cayetano also raised concerns over the prosecution's use of the affidavit of self-confessed Davao Death Squad hitman Arturo Lascañas after noting that the document presented before the court was not notarized. She reminded the prosecution to present properly authenticated documentary evidence and the appropriate witnesses during the trial.

Because the defense was unable to finish its questioning, Senate President and Presiding Officer Francis Escudero granted its request to continue the cross-examination of Matibag on Wednesday, July 22, despite the prosecution's appeal to conclude his testimony on Tuesday.

Escudero also announced changes to the impeachment trial schedule. There will be no hearings on July 27 to give way to President Marcos' State of the Nation Address and on July 28 to accommodate the minority bloc's counter-SONA. The impeachment court will resume proceedings on July 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with succeeding trial days set every Monday to Wednesday.

Matibag is expected to return to the witness stand on Wednesday as the defense continues its cross-examination in what has become one of the prosecution's most closely watched presentations under Article IV of the impeachment complaint.