Sara Duterte camp says NBI's Matibag 'politically biased' vs. VP

The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte claimed Wednesday that National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag is "evidently politically biased" against her amid the investigation into the allegations of dismissed policeman Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.

Citing the Vice President, Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim said that Matibag "is heavily burdened with a conflict of interest" in his investigation into Gracioso's accusations.

"As shown in the impeachment case, Director Matibag has previously written scathing opinion articles against the Vice President, and is evidently politically biased against her," Lim said in a statement.

"With respect, his current publicity on the progress of what is supposed to be a live investigation—showing support for Mr. Gracioso and implying guilt to the Vice President and her family, simultaneous with the impeachment trial—appears to confirm this bias," he added.

Duterte's lawyer said the NBI should not be weaponized for partisan purposes as it is expected to conduct professional and apolitical investigative work.

GMA News Online reached out to the NBI for a comment and will update this story once it responds.

Matibag earlier said the bureau is investigating properties supposedly linked to the vice president and her family to follow a pattern that was established in the affidavit of Gracioso.

The dismissed policeman has claimed that he delivered suitcases full of cash to the Vice President, Davao City Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte, and former president Rodrigo Duterte on the instructions of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

The Dutertes have denied the claims of Gracioso, while Velasco's camp also said the alleged "fabricated attacks" against him have "no basis."

On Tuesday, the vice president has denied ownership of the properties being investigated by the NBI, saying that the move to associate them to her was a kind of "public deception."

The NBI earlier said it has invited Paolo Duterte to shed light on Gracioso's claims, an invite which he dismissed.

In his affidavit, Paolo Duterte said Gracioso's allegations were "pure fiction" and a "fairy-tale lie." — VDV, GMA News