MANILA, Philippines – The Senate impeachment court opened Day 8 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial on Tuesday by admonishing National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag, with Presiding Officer Francis Escudero telling him to “kindly avoid statements pertaining to individual members of this impeachment court” as soon as Matibag was called to the witness stand.
Matibag had been at the center of a public dispute with some senator-judges before his testimony.
READ: Highlights: Day 7 of Sara Duterte impeachment trial | July 20, 2026
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Despite defense objections to prosecution questions about the NBI’s special task force, Escudero overruled most of the challenges and allowed Matibag to proceed. FEATURED STORIES
