Matibag: Duterte’s threat had ‘kinetic force,’ prompted other threats

NBI Director Melvin Matibag. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s threats against ranking officials resulted in a so-called “kinetic force” where her statements prompted other individuals — like her brother — to make their own threats, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said on Tuesday. During the eighth day of Duterte’s trial at the Senate Impeachment Court, Matibag was asked by lead public prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro as to why NBI had to investigate the statements uttered by Duterte’s younger brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, during the Reform Alliance for Good Governance and Accountability (RAGE) Coalition event last April 2026. In response, Matibag referred to a “kinetic force” as several threats popped up since the Vice President’s statements against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his relatives in the November 23, 2024 online press briefing. Article continues after this advertisement READ: VP Duterte’s bank docs may reveal more than AMLC reports – de Lima “Mr. Witness, what is the reason why the video of Mayor Sebastian Duterte is part of what you are saying now that the threats are already a threat to national security?” Luistro asked. “Because we can see here that the threats of the Vice President has created an effect, it is a kinetic force where the people who heard the threats are copying it and making their own threats, especially if they come from one family,” Matibag replied. “That is the very purpose of the task force — to monitor all these threats that are coming out now, and every day we see threats over social media, through statements in rallies, and there are continuous threats against our President, which has reached an issue of national security,” he added. When asked to clarify what he meant by a “kinetic force,” Matibag said that Duterte’s threats seemed to have inspired more threats like those of the Davao City mayor, which, if implemented, could push the country into chaos. Article continues after this advertisement Matibag was referring to Mayor Duterte’s claims during the RAGE Coalition meeting, where the local chief executive said they only needed one head — Marcos’s. READ: Palace on Duterte’s rge coalition Marcos not affected by ambition Article continues after this advertisement “Their actions had an effect that prompted those who heard to move, their supporters, to spread uncertainty and confusion within our country; they no longer respect the Constitution, and they disregard our democratic process,” he said. “There are a lot of people who watched it, around 600,000 plus during the live broadcast. That is where the kinetic force that I have been talking about earlier comes in, there may be a reaction from the people who watched it and it may not be good and only result in chaos, and prevent us from promoting law and order which should be the primary duty of the [NBI],” he added. Luistro then asked Matibag as to what RAGE meant, to which the NBI director responded by providing the literal meaning of the word ‘rage.’ When Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero asked whether RAGE was an acronym, Matibag said that the real name of the coalition would not fit into the RAGE’s initials. “Is that not an acronym, Director Matibag?” Escudero said. “It does not match their acronym, because the name is Reform Alliance for Good Governance. So that is not ‘RAGE’, it’s quite far,” Matibag answered. Matibag is the third and last witness from the prosecution panel for Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns Duterte’s grave threats. The threats from the vice president against Marcos, his wife first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and his cousin former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, came during an online briefing last November 23, 2024. As she criticized the House for detaining her chief-of-staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, Duterte was asked by a vlogger to take care, as she may be in danger. The Vice President replied by urging people not to worry, as she has talked to a person about killing the Marcos couple and Romualdez if she herself gets killed. Lopez was detained after she was cited for contempt by the House committee on good government and public accountability of the 19th Congress for allegedly committing undue interference during the panel’s investigation into alleged misuse of confidential funds within Duterte’s offices. The defense panel has maintained that Duterte’s statements were part of free speech, but several government officials and the prosecution team believe it was a grave threat — regardless of whether or not the Vice President executed a contract with an assassin to kill the three. Matibag will be the last witness from the prosecution as Luistro and counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan announced during the second week of the trial that they will no longer call several witnesses, including Lopez. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. According to members of the prosecution team, their decision to withdraw the presentation of other witnesses was based on the observation that they had established the matters they sought to establish. /mr