The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will immediately serve a warrant of arrest against Senator Rodante Marcoleta once it is issued and transmitted by the courts, NBI director Melvin Matibag said.

But as of late June 2026, Matibag clarified that no such warrant exists and, at the same time, dismissed social media allegations claiming the bureau was refusing to act, and challenged critics to bring legal and valid court orders through proper channels.

He said the agency will immediately enforce any valid warrant of arrest against Senator Rodante Marcoleta once the courts issue it.

Matibag’s statement came amid social media criticism questioning why the NBI has not arrested the senator.

He said the NBI’s job is law enforcement, and once a warrant of arrest is received, they will enforce it no matter what.

The bureau’s recent attempt to serve an arrest warrant on Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa at the Senate, as proof that the agency carries out its duties regardless of the personalities involved, cited Matibag.

“You saw what happened at the Senate because we want to enforce the warrant of arrest,” he said.

The NBI chief said some people have accused him of being afraid to arrest Marcoleta, but maintained that the NBI cannot act without a court-issued warrant.

Matibag said he has been reading that people are challenging and saying they are afraid, but he doesn’t know who they are.

However, he clarified that he has not yet received a copy of the warrant of arrest.

Present documents

Critics have been challenged to present documents instead of merely posting accusations online.

He said people are challenging him to arrest Marcoleta, but they are not bringing any legal warrant of arrest against anybody.

“We will enforce, we will arrest anyone as long as we have a legal and valid warrant of arrest. Let us not talk too much on Facebook. If you have evidence, bring it to the NBI, and we will act on it. We will do our job,” he added.

He maintained that the NBI remains committed to upholding law and order because it is what they want, to enforce the law no matter what.

Sen. Marcoleta and three others are currently facing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for plunder and three counts of indirect bribery over alleged campaign contributions that were supposedly not declared to the Commission on Elections and in the senator’s 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.