VP Sara Duterte brushes off NBI Chief as 'nobody' amid SALN probe

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday brushed off National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag as a “nobody” following the agency’s referral of an investigation into her family's declared assets to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Hindi ako interesado sa kanya. Walang interesado kay Atty. Matibag. He's a nobody,” Duterte told reporters during an ambush interview in Zamboanga City. (English: "I am not interested in him. No one is interested in Atty. Matibag. He's a nobody.")

Matibag has yet to comment on the Vice President’s remarks.

The NBI submitted its fact-finding report on Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) to the Ombudsman on Tuesday for evaluation.

The agency's probe compared her 2024 and 2025 SALN declarations against land titles obtained from the Land Registration Authority (LRA).

Rather than exchanging statements with the NBI chief, Duterte stated that she prefers to address the findings in the appropriate legal channels.

“'Yung regarding sa Statement of Assets and Liabilities ko, it is already a subject in the impeachment. At sinubmit na rin 'yun sa Ombudsman. So ito 'yung mga proper forum kung saan mas makakabuti doon kami magbigay ng aming sagot at explanation. Kaysa sa makipagsagutan tayo kay Atty. Matibag na nakita naman natin na mali-mali 'yung mga sinasabi,” she said.

Duterte’s spokesperson, Atty. Paolo Panelo Jr., echoed her stance, dismissing allegations of discrepancies and accusing the Marcos administration of political targeting.

“The series of press conferences by NBI Director Melvin Matibag on supposed discrepancies in properties declared in the Vice President's SALN is just the latest example of the Marcos administration's weaponization of government institutions for political persecution,” Panelo said in a statement.

“The Vice President maintains that she declared all her assets and liabilities in her SALN correctly and in good faith, and all allegations to the contrary are false. She is confident this will be proven in the impeachment trial, and if necessary, before the Ombudsman once given formal notice,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman assured the public that it will conduct an impartial review of the NBI’s referral.

-Paraluman News