Sass Sasot apologizes to NBI chief Matibag, wife Ann over story on US property

Blogger Sass Sasot has apologized to National Bureau of Investigation director Melvin Matibag and Laguna Rep. Ann Matibag after she said in a social media post that they owned a four-bedroom property worth over $1 million in the United States.

Sasot on Facebook said that the property at Baldwin Place in California was not owned by the spouses NBI director and Laguna congresswoman as she previously said in a post on July 22.

“That post was about the 26023 Baldwin Place in California that is listed at homes.com, a major U.S. online residential real estate marketplace owned by CoStar Group. Homes.com listed it as owned by a couple named ‘Melvin Matibag and Anna Marie Matibag’,” Sasot said.

“Upon crossverifying with other public records in the United States, these two people are not NBI Director Melvin Matibag and Congresswoman Anna Marie Matibag.”

Sasot said the Melvin Matibag owner of the Baldwin Place property is Melvin Benjoso Matibag while the NBI Director is Melvin Alvarez Matibag.

"The Anna Marie Matibag owner is Anna Marie Laman Matibag, while the Congresswoman is Ann Lourdes Garcia Matibag," Sasot said.

“I apologize to NBI Director Melvin Matibag and Congresswoman Ann Matibag for this error. The original post has already been retracted."

At a press conference, Matibag denied owning the property.

"I categorically deny. Wala kaming properties sa abroad. 'Yung properties namin all declared in my SALN. And you can get a copy of my SALN. Andiyan naman 'yan. Andoon lahat diyan," he said.

(I categorically deny. We don't have properties abroad. All our properties are declared in my SALN. And you can get a copy of my SALN. It's all there.)

He later said the claim is "totally fake news."

Matibag said the allegations seeks to affect his credibility as a witness of the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The NBI director testified regarding allegations that Duterte violated the Constitution, committed high crimes, and betrayed public trust by contracting for the alleged assassination of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and others. –NB, GMA News