Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte has formally requested National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag to inhibit himself from overseeing the probe into allegations made by dismissed police patrolman Rodulfo Gracioso against him and his family.
In a statement released on Thursday, November 12, Duterte clarified that the request is not an attempt to evade accountability or halt the inquiry, but rather a measure to safeguard the fairness and credibility of the proceedings.
The lawmaker outlined three primary grounds for the inhibition request: alleged prejudgment by the investigator, the premature public airing of allegations before giving him an opportunity to respond, and potential conflicts of interest.
Duterte specifically pointed to Matibag’s earlier public remarks describing Gracioso’s claims as “99 percent true” while the investigation was still active, despite a subsequent clarification that a polygraph test did not verify the accusations. He argued that such statements undermine public confidence by suggesting a conclusion has been reached before examining all evidence.
Additionally, the congressman noted that Gracioso’s affidavit circulated in national media prior to his legal camp receiving an official copy, which they only obtained on October 5 following a formal request.
Duterte also raised concerns regarding Matibag’s past public associations with Vice President Sara Duterte—including the NBI chief’s admission to authoring columns about her in 2024—arguing these ties could affect neutrality in a case involving the Duterte family.
To reinforce his position, Duterte referenced a prior instance where Matibag successfully sought the transfer of libel complaints away from the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office by questioning a prosecutor’s impartiality due to a familial relationship.
”What is good for the prosecutor should also be good for the investigator,” Duterte said, emphasizing that public trust depends heavily on the integrity of law enforcement officials.