LIVE UPDATES: Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial (July 21, 2026)

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said Tuesday the bureau looked into an affidavit of former Davao senior police officer Arturo Lascañas submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which mentioned Vice President Sara Duterte's supposed hand in Oplan Tokhang. 

On the eighth day of the impeachment trial, Matibag said the NBI Special Task Force evaluated the document as part of its investigation on the alleged "pattern of violence" by Duterte in relation to her alleged threats against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Tuesday admitted that his wife, Laguna 1st District Rep. Ann Matibag, was one of the endorsers of a House resolution which set forth the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In his cross-examination in the impeachment trial of Duterte, however, Matibag clarified that his wife's job as a legislator had nothing to do with his role as the NBI chief.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday announced an adjusted schedule for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

According to Escudero, there will be no trial on Monday, July 27, to give way to the fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

No trial will also be held the following day, July 28, to allow senators from the minority bloc to prepare for and deliver their so-called “Kontra-SONA,” which is a counterpoint to the President’s SONA. 

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Tuesday rejected the assertion that a government officials' popularity should shield them from accountability, after the defense cited Vice President Sara Duterte’s latest trust rating during her impeachment trial.

During his cross-examination of Matibag, defense counsel Mark Vinluan presented a social media post citing news reports that Duterte had a 57% trust rating, compared with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 34%

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified persons of interest in connection with the individual allegedly hired by Vice President Sara Duterte to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and others if she were killed, Director Melvin Matibag said Tuesday.

At Duterte's impeachment trial, Matibag testified that he created a special task force to investigate the alleged threat against the president’s life and to discover the identity behind the alleged individual.

He described the probe as a "continuing investigation."

“Meron po tayong mga leads na atin pong sinusundan at katunayan, we already have established persons of interest na maaaring magturo o tumukoy doon sa taong kinausap ng ating bise presidente,” he said.

(We have leads that we are pursuing, and in fact, we have already identified persons of interest who may be able to identify the individual our Vice President spoke to.)

“O maaaring isa dito sa tinatawag nating persons of interest ang siyang talagang nakausap ng bise presidente,” he added.

(Or one of these persons of interest may in fact be the individual the Vice President spoke to.)

Vice President Sara Duterte has left the Philippines for a trip abroad from July 16 to 31, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Tuesday.

According to the OVP, Duterte is scheduled to visit Qatar, the United Kingdom (UK), and the Netherlands.

“These activities are intended to engage with overseas Filipinos and advance the Philippines’ interests abroad,” the OVP said.

“The itinerary includes both official foreign travel and personal engagements. No government funds will be used by the Vice President for the entire duration of the trip,” it added.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Tuesday said the bureau considered the possibility of a conspiracy involving Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, noting that both had made remarks referring to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s head.

Matibag made the statement as he took the witness stand during the continuation of the Vice President’s impeachment trial.

“Kapansin-pansin po na makikita natin na nanggagaling sa isang pamilya ang pagbabanta sa ating Pangulo. At parehas na nagre-refer sa ulo ng Pangulo," he said.

(It is noteworthy that we can see the threats against our President coming from the same family. And both of them refer to the President’s head.)

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday expressed surprise over the remarks of Senate impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol that most parts of the decision on the issuance of subpoenas for Duterte’s bank and tax records were already finished even before the trial commenced on July 6.

However, Atty. Michael Poa, spokesperson and defense counsel, said he “doesn’t want to read much into it” as he doesn’t want to “cast aspersion on the integrity of the court”.

“Actually, nagulat rin ako nung nabasa ko 'yung statement — or at least 'yung statement base sa interview yata ng spokesperson ng impeachment court — but nonetheless, I don't really want to read too much into it. I don't want to cast aspersions dito sa ating nangyari kahapon,” Poa told reporters in an interview.

(We were surprised when we read the statement, or at least the statement that is based on Tongol’s interview. Nonetheless, I don't really want to read too much into it. I don't want to cast aspersions on what happened yesterday.)

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday admonished and reminded National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag to refrain from making statements directed towards particular senator-judges in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Escudero issued the reminder to Matibag on the 8th day of the trial, immediately after the NBI chief took his oath as witness before the Senate impeachment court.

“Director Matibag, the Chair would like to remind and admonish you on behalf of the impeachment court to kindly avoid statements appertaining to individual members of this impeachment court without prejudice to any investigation you are undertaking, you may do so,” Escudero said.

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

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Tuesday arrived at the Senate for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Matibag will be the final witness of the House prosecution panel for the Article of Impeachment on the alleged grave threats made by the vice president against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez.