The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Sunday dismissed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s description of NBI director Melvin Matibag as a "minion," stating the remark will not deter its investigation into alleged funding irregularities during the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

In a statement, the bureau said it would not answer the senator's remarks in kind and stessed that its work remains strictly guided by evidence and the law.

"No one in the bureau will take offense at the label, nor will it be answered in kind," the NBI statement read. "The bureau’s work rests on evidence, on documents, and on the law — and none of these is moved by name-calling."

The agency maintained that Matibag is accountable only to the public interest.

It cited that the fact-finding inquiry into the country's hosting of the 2019 SEA Games was opened because billions of pesos in public funds appeared to have been disbursed outside standard competitive bidding and government audit safeguards.

Without naming Cayetano directly, the bureau suggested that personal attacks often surface when factual defenses are lacking.

"It bears noting that the loudest objections to an audit seldom come from those with nothing to account for," the NBI said.

"When a position cannot be defended with facts, it is often defended with insults. The bureau reads the senator’s choice of words in exactly that light — and proceeds undeterred."

The bureau added that the inquiry is impartial, presumes no one guilty, and exempts no one from scrutiny. It also invited anyone with relevant information to cooperate with investigators.

"We invite anyone with knowledge of the matter — the senator included — to bring their evidence to the bureau, and not to a livestream," the statement said.

To recall, Cayetano called Matibag a "minion" during a Facebook Live broadcast while criticizing the NBI's investigation into alleged bidding and funding irregularities involving infrastructure projects for the regional sports event, including the New Clark City sports complex.