Matibag says he is 'nobody' if mansions, firms are basis

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Friday said Vice President Sara Duterte’s remark that he is a “nobody” is "true" if the basis is having mansions and receiving profit from Chinese state-owned companies.

“Well, totoo naman ‘yun kung ang basehan ay mga mansion, mga negosyo, mga Jollibee ganyan, at kung may natatanggap na malaking pera sa Chinese state-owned companies, ay nobody talaga,” he said in an ambush interview

(Well, that’s true if the basis is mansions, businesses, Jollibee stores, and things like that, and if someone is receiving large amounts of money from Chinese state-owned companies, then they really are nobody.)

Earlier, Duterte called Matibag a nobody when asked for a comment on the NBI chief's challenge to file a case if she thinks he is biased or doing something wrong.

This comes amid the NBI’s investigation into claims of dismissed policeman Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. that he delivered cash to the vice president and others on the instructions of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

The NBI is also probing the real properties listed in the vice president’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).

Meanwhile, AMLC records showed that P5.3 billion in covered and suspicious transactions were flagged across 15 companies linked to Duterte and her husband.

Among these is Cale88 Foods Corporation, which reportedly received an estimated P319 million from China and Hong Kong. Senator-judges also flagged several companies recorded in the transactions as state-owned Chinese entities.

Duterte’s camp has maintained that there is no proof directly linking millions of pesos in her and her husband’s bank accounts to funds from the Chinese government.

Matibag said the NBI will continue its investigation. —VAL, GMA News