National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag has requested the House prosecution panel to move his scheduled testimony before the Senate impeachment court to an earlier date before July 20 due to an upcoming official trip abroad.
In a letter dated July 10 addressed to House lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro, Matibag explained that he is slated to attend an international security summit in Thailand.
The event, co-organized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Thai Police, will focus on cross-border illegal activities.
“This request is occasioned by an official commitment abroad. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in coordination with the Royal Thai Police, has invited the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to the inaugural Regional Summit on Scam Center Compound and Transnational Organized Crime, to be held in Bangkok Thailand on 21-22 July, 2026,” the letter read.
Matibag, who will be personally representing the agency at the Asia-Pacific gathering of top law enforcement leaders, expressed his willingness to take the stand early to prevent any administrative bottlenecks in the high-profile trial.
“In view thereof, I respectfully request that I be scheduled to take the witness stand prior to my departure so that my participation in the Summit will neither disrupt the proceedings nor delay the presentation of my testimony. I remain fully prepared to cooperate and to make myself available at any earlier date the Panel may determine,” he said.
The NBI chief’s highly anticipated testimony centers on the specific impeachment article involving Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged verbal threats directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.