NBI tags persons of interest in Duterte’s alleged kill plot vs Marcos

NBI Director Melvin Matibag at the witness stand. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA [Updated July 21, 2026, 6:26 p.m.] MANILA, Philippines— National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag told the impeachment court on Tuesday that they have persons of interest (POIs) that might point to Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged hitman but he refused to name them, citing their ongoing investigation. Matibag was called to the witness stand by the House prosecution team to testify on Duterte’s threat to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Matibag: Sara, Baste Duterte threats vs Marcos suggest conspiracy “(We have leads that we are pursuing. In fact, we have already identified persons of interest who may be able to identify the individual the Vice President spoke to. It is also possible that one of these persons of interest is the very person the Vice President spoke with,” he said. He was responding to lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro, who asked about the NBI’s investigation into the person that Duterte had allegedly contracted to kill the president. Asked to clarify what he meant by the POIs, Matibag explained they could either shed light on the case, identify the alleged hitman, or one of them could be the actual assassin. READ: Lascañas’ EJK claims against Sara Duterte surface at trial Article continues after this advertisement “They may have been present during the conversation, or they may have been the very individuals the Vice President spoke to. That is why they are considered persons of interest. However, as I said, that does not necessarily mean they were the ones the Vice President spoke to,” he further said. However, Matibag declined to disclose their identities, warning that it could compromise their ongoing investigation. Article continues after this advertisement “Respectfully, I regret that, in my capacity as NBI director, I cannot disclose the identities of our persons of interest because, as I have said, this is an open and ongoing investigation into the alleged hiring of someone to kill the President,” he said. It would not only compromise their investigation, but could also put at risk their informants and assets on the ground, who provide them with human intelligence, Matibag said. The NBI chief added that naming the POIs could violate their right to privacy, and could be penalized under the Administrative Code, which prohibits unauthorized disclosure of information classified as confidential or top secret. Nevertheless, Matibag informed the court that he was in possession of a “confidential” report by the NBI’s special task force created to look into Duterte’s assassination threat. “These are the ongoing reports, the meeting minutes, and the intelligence reports related to the issue we have been discussing,” Matibag said. Before this, Matibag told the court that the NBI considers Duterte’s threat made during an online media briefing in November 2020 as “serious, active, and continuing.” And because it was directed at the president, he said, it also poses a threat to national security. “Our observation is that this is no longer merely a threat, but a plan,” the NBI chief also said when Luistro initially asked about his opinion on Duterte’s remark that she had already hired a hitman. “Because we believe the vice president announced during her press conference her plan to kill the president of the Philippines, as well as the other individuals she mentioned,” he said. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. Duterte’s alleged assassination plot against the president falls under Article II of the impeachment case against Duterte. /mr