Senate impeachment court subpoenas NBI chief to testify on July 20

The Senate impeachment court on Monday issued a subpoena directing National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag to testify before the body on July 20.

The order came after the House prosecution panel initially sought to have Matibag take the witness stand on Tuesday, July 14, despite his scheduled attendance at a regional summit on transnational crime in Bangkok hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Thai Police.

The request drew objections from Senator-judges Alan Peter Cayetano and Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.

At the close of Monday's proceedings, however, Gatchalian proposed that Matibag instead testify on Monday before leaving for the regional conference.

“I was looking at the letter from the NBI, and indeed the activity in Bangkok is quite important. It is the regional summit on scam center compounds and transnational organized crime which will be held on Tuesday (July 21),” Gatchalian said.

“What we can do is to allow him to come here on Monday and propound our questions and if ever we don’t finish it we can ask him to come back again after his activity in Bangkok,” he added.

The prosecution, defense and senator-judges agreed to the arrangement, prompting Presiding Officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero to order the issuance of a subpoena requiring Matibag's appearance on July 20.

“With the understanding of course that the testimony of the witness will be meaningless unless he is cross examined by the other party,” Escudero said.

“So, should we not finish his testimony on Monday, it shall be continued on the next trial date until the cross-examination,” he added.