MANILA — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Friday admitted that Vice President Sara Duterte’s remark labeling him a “nobody” holds true, provided the standard is owning vast mansions, businesses, and collecting large payouts from Chinese state-owned enterprises.
“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,” Matibag stated during an ambush interview in Manila.
The NBI chief’s reaction came after the Vice President dismissed him as a “nobody” when reporters sought her response regarding his challenge for her to file formal charges if she believed his agency was acting with bias or committing irregularities.
The word war and ongoing inquiries unfold as the NBI probes allegations made by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., who claimed he personally delivered cash to the Vice President and other figures under the instructions of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
Alongside this witness statement, the bureau is also scrutinizing the real estate properties declared in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).
Meanwhile, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents recently revealed that roughly ₱5.3 billion in covered and suspicious transactions were flagged across 15 business entities tied to Duterte and her spouse.
Among these companies is Cale88 Foods Corporation, which reportedly pulled in an estimated ₱319 million originating from China and Hong Kong. Several senator-judges have likewise pointed out that multiple corporations found within the financial trail are state-backed Chinese entities.
Despite these revelations, Duterte’s legal camp has consistently asserted that zero concrete evidence directly ties the millions inside her and her husband’s bank accounts to foreign funding from the Chinese government.
Closing out his statements, Matibag affirmed that the NBI remains steadfast in pursuing its independent investigation into the matter.