Known as an ally of then President Rodrigo Duterte, newly appointed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Melvin Matibag has walked into the line of political fire.
To this he has a blunt response: This post is no prize.
“The work at the NBI is so hard… yet there’s no reward,” Matibag told reporters, brushing off his selection by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a political “reward” for having filed a disbarment case against former Duterte presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Roque is reportedly seeking asylum in the Netherlands as he faces qualified human trafficking charges in connection with his ties to the controversial Lucky South 99 POGO firm. He has suggested Matibag’s appointment is a reward for his filing a complaint against him before the Supreme Court in September 2024.
But Matibag pushed back hard.
“Anyone is entitled to their opinion, and I respect that,” he said, making it clear he has no intention of turning the bureau into a battleground for personal grudges.
“Don’t get me wrong, I won’t give him a zero because of… I don’t want to be distracted. Everybody will be treated the same. The bureau is not for one person or one group only,” Matibag said.
Matibag took his oath of office before Executive Secretary Ralph Recto at Malacañang last Friday.
On Monday, he formally assumed leadership of the bureau from outgoing director Lito Magno, stepping into one of the country’s most politically sensitive posts.
Almost immediately, he confronted what he called “the big elephant in the room” — his perceived closeness to former President Duterte while now serving under Marcos Jr.
“I hope we don’t have that kind of line,” he said. “We hold office based on the agency’s mandate and not because of the personalities who put you there.”
Matibag vowed there would be no “sacred cows” in ongoing and future investigations, from the flood control anomalies to high-profile criminal cases.
The new NBI chief urged the public to withhold judgment, insisting that his record, including his former leadership of the Manila International Airport Authority, should speak louder than political speculation.
“I probably shouldn’t be judged based on things like that, but rather on my performance as NBI director,” he said.
As his disbarment complaint against Roque awaits resolution at the Supreme Court, Matibag said he considers the former spokesperson a friend, but insists the case should run its legal course, independent of his new role.
“Former Secretary Harry Roque is my friend; we served together in the Duterte Cabinet. The case I filed is with the Supreme Court, so let it be resolved by the Supreme Court,” Matibag said.
In September 2024, Matibag filed a disbarment complaint against Roque over a video that allegedly linked the former spokesperson to a controversial “polvoron” post that implicated Marcos.
As new NBI chief, he emphasized that his priority will be the bureau’s investigations, not personal relationships.
“Wherever I am brought by the evidence, that is where we will take it,” Matibag said when pressed on how he would act if Duterte’s allies were implicated in crimes or irregularities.
“If friends, party mates, or allies are involved, they must be held accountable,” he stressed.
He acknowledged that public service can test even the closest of ties.
“They know that. Many friendships end when the call to serve the country arises. They know me. They know that,” he said.
Asked if there would be any “sacred cows” in NBI probes, Matibag firmly replied: “No. The only one sacred here is the Lord.”