Matibag said the NBI assessed events independently using a five-factor test rather than treating every protest or act opposing the government as kinetic action.
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Witness record
July 22, 2026
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Atty. Melvin Matibag
Director of the National Bureau of Investigation; prosecution witness
He said the NBI obtained the purported Lascañas document from a source and did not automatically accept it as true; he also said the NBI did not subpoena Lascañas but conducted a verification process.
Matibag testified that the inquiry had narrowed to fewer than 20 individuals and that the NBI was speaking with some families or acquaintances; he projected that clearer identification might come in three to six months. This was his account of an ongoing investigation, not a court finding.
He described coordination through the Office of the Executive Secretary, a security cluster, and military units, while declining to identify exact units in open hearing.