Matibag's testimony on Sara Duterte's threats called 'hearsay' by defense

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday questioned the credibility of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag to testify on Duterte’s alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and ex-House Speaker Martin Romualdez, citing his lack of personal knowledge of the agency’s probe.

On Day 8 of Duterte’s impeachment trial, the House prosecution panel presented Matibag as its remaining witness for Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns Duterte’s alleged grave threats and assassination plot targeting the officials.

Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan, during the cross-examination, asked Matibag if he has personal knowledge of the NBI’s investigation, such as the issuance of subpoenas against the second-highest official and journalists Bonz Magsambol and Red Mendoza.

Matibag answered in the negative, explaining he only assumed his post last February.

“Ano ba yung hearsay sa tagalog? Sabi-sabi or chismis? Is that a fair translation? What is a fair translation to you?” Vinluan told Matibag.

(What’s hearsay in Tagalog? Sabi-sabi or chismis? Is that a fair translation? What is a fair translation to you?)

“I’ll just use my own translation, chismis. At any rate, kung wala kang personal knowledge, chismis lang yon, tama?” He added.

(I’ll just use my own translation, chismis. At any rate, if you have no personal knowledge, then it’s chismis, right?)

Sans personal knowledge, the prosecution explained Matibag based his answers on the existing NBI records.

“Hindi ko naririnig sa korte at ako’y nag-practice rin. Kahit minsan, hindi ko narinig na ang hearsay, ginamit na chismis sa Tagalog,” Matibag added.

(I never heard the term hearsay be referred to as chismis.)

In a separate interview, defense lawyer Michael Poa said Matibag’s testimonies on the NBI’s first investigation may be considered hearsay, reiterating his lack of personal knowledge on the probe.

“Ang sinasabi natin is pagdating dun sa unang investigation na wala siyang personal knowledge, yun po ay tinatawag nating hearsay,” Poa told reporters.

(What we’re saying is that he had no personal knowledge on the first investigation, and that is hearsay.)

“So ibig sabihin wala kang personal na kaalaman kasi hindi ka na-involve doon sa investigasyon na yun,” he added.

(Hearsay means he had no personal knowledge because he was not involved in the probe.) —LDF, GMA News