POLITICAL bias is seen as the reason Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team questioned the impartiality of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag in the agency’s probe into properties allegedly linked to the vice president and her family, citing his previous critical commentaries and public statements on the investigation.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 14, lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim of Chua Lim & Associates, counsel for Duterte, questioned Matibag's impartiality, citing his previous opinion articles critical of the Vice President and his public disclosures about the investigation into allegations made by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.
The legal team argued that Matibag's public statements, made while Duterte's impeachment trial was underway, risked creating an impression of guilt before the allegations had been resolved by the appropriate authorities.
“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.
“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.
The legal team, however, said its concerns did not necessarily reflect the entire agency, emphasizing that the NBI was expected to conduct professional and politically independent investigations.
The NBI said its investigation was being conducted under Republic Act 10867, which defines the agency's powers and functions, including investigating crimes and other offenses within its jurisdiction.
In a statement released amid the controversy, the bureau said it was examining Duterte's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) against land titles registered with the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
The agency said the inquiry covered properties identified through official documents, including transfer certificates of title, and that its findings would be handled through the appropriate legal processes.
The NBI also stressed that it would not engage in a public dispute with the Vice President over the investigation, maintaining that official documents and evidence would speak for the agency.
On Tuesday, October 13, the bureau referred its fact-finding report on Duterte's SALN to the Office of the Ombudsman for evaluation and appropriate action. The referral followed an examination of her 2024 and 2025 SALN declarations against certified land-title records obtained from the LRA, according to the NBI's submission.
NBI investigation into properties
The dispute follows the NBI's announcement that it was investigating properties allegedly connected to Duterte and members of her family after Gracioso claimed he had delivered cash to them.
Matibag said on October 12 that investigators were examining whether the alleged cash deliveries could be linked to property acquisitions, including land that appeared to have increased substantially in value compared with the amounts declared in official documents.
The NBI presented images and video footage of properties it was examining, including a compound described in reports as resort-like.
Matibag said investigators were looking into possible discrepancies between declared property values and the assets under scrutiny.
Duterte has denied ownership of a property highlighted in the investigation. The allegations involving the properties and the alleged cash deliveries remain subject to investigation and evaluation by the appropriate authorities.
The Vice President's legal team has not accepted the NBI's public presentation as proof of wrongdoing, instead raising questions about whether the investigation is being conducted impartially.
Duterte’s ‘unexplained wealth’ remains in impeachment
The allegation of Duterte’s unexplained wealth is now the sole remaining charge in the impeachment complaint after the House prosecution panel withdrew three of the four articles of impeachment against her.
The remaining Article II concerns alleged unexplained wealth, incomplete declarations of assets in Duterte's SALN, and alleged failure to divest from business interests.
House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro said the prosecution believed its evidence on unexplained wealth was sufficient to support Duterte's removal from office.
The defense, however, objected to the withdrawal of the other charges, arguing that the prosecution had already presented evidence on some allegations but was now seeking to prevent those matters from being fully tested through the remaining trial proceedings.
The impeachment court also lifted the sub judice restrictions on public discussion of the withdrawn articles, allowing the parties to address the allegations outside the courtroom, subject to limits on the disclosure of evidence presented during the proceedings.
Duterte says political pressure will not silence her
Amid the investigation and impeachment proceedings, Duterte maintained that she would remain steadfast despite the political challenges she faces.
Speaking at the 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Manila Hotel on October 13, the Vice President said her political future remained uncertain but suggested that her purpose extended beyond becoming president.
“Whether or not I become the next President of our country remains to be seen. Hindi natin alam,” Duterte said.
She said the adversity she had faced had strengthened her resolve to pursue what she described as empowerment, adding that she would not allow political pressure to determine her actions.
“You are living witnesses to how I have taken every strike, endured every hit, and weathered every storm,” she said.
“And yet here I am—still standing, unbowed. Not because I am indestructible. Not because I am invincible.”
Duterte added that she refused to let adversity define her, intimidation silence her, or political pressure weaken her.
She also said her experiences had helped her identify what needed to change in the country and that she had begun what she described as a resistance that the nation must ultimately win. DEF