Photo courtesy of House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook.
The House committee on justice issued subpoenas to National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag and lawyer Michael Poa to appear in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Documents released on Thursday showed Matibag was directed to attend the April 14 hearing and submit records related to the probe into Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Poa was also ordered to testify and present documents tied to confidential fund submissions made by the Department of Education to the Commission on Audit during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.
The panel required him to discuss matters connected to his role as chief of staff at the Department of Education from 2022 to 2023, particularly on the use and liquidation of confidential funds.
The controversy stemmed from statements Duterte made in November 2024, when she spoke about an alleged plan involving harm against the Marcos family and Romualdez following a tense episode at the House of Representatives.
Her remarks came after visiting a detained Education official who had been cited for contempt during an inquiry into the alleged misuse of confidential funds under her office.
Lawmakers earlier examined testimonies indicating that funds were handled directly by Duterte, with some witnesses recounting receiving cash envelopes linked to assistance programs and internal transactions.
The committee proceeded with hearings after finding the complaints sufficient in substance, issuing subpoenas to key personalities and documents to support the case as the impeachment process moved forward.
