Matibag seeks inhibition of prosecutor in cyber libel case filed by Pulong Duterte

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Monday, 26 October 2026, sought the inhibition of the Davao City prosecutor handling the cyber libel case filed against him by Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte.

Matibag said a motion seeking the inhibition of Davao City Prosecutor Jhopee Salvador Avancena would be filed within the day.

The NBI chief added that the same motion would ask the Office of the City Prosecutor (OCP) to suspend the proceedings in the case.

Apart from this, Matibag said, “We’ll write the secretary of justice to transfer the venue of the case filed by Congressman Pulong Duterte.”

“We found out that the city prosecutor, Prosecutor Avancena, is first cousin of Honeylet Avancena,” Matibag explained, citing the relationship as grounds for seeking the prosecutor’s inhibition and the transfer of the case.

Honeylet is the partner of former President Rodrigo Duterte, with whom she has a daughter.

Although Honeylet and the former president are not married, Matibag pointed out that “it develops a sense of alarming reason for us to transfer dahil nandoon pa rin ‘yung malalim na relationship.”

(It develops a sense of alarming reason for us to transfer the case because the deep relationship is there.)

Duterte filed a cyber libel case before the Davao City OCP, naming Matibag, dismissed policeman Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., and executives and journalists of GMA Network, among others, as respondents.

The cyber libel case concerns Gracioso’s claims that he delivered cash to several members of the Duterte family upon the instruction of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.