NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said “men in uniform and in active service” are among the persons of interest (POIs) in the agency’s investigation into the “assassin” allegedly tapped by Vice President Sara Duterte to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
During the resumption of the impeachment trial of Duterte on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, Matibag said the POIs are those individuals they believe can provide vital information about the person “contracted” by Duterte to kill Marcos and the two others.
“’Yung persons of interest po can be characterized na merong nakausap. Persons of interest ito ‘yung maaaring makapagturo; hindi pa po natin nakausap ito lahat. Doon sa ating mga nakilala, meron na pong mga pamilya na gustong makipagusap sa atin at magbigay ng impormasyon,” he said.
(Persons of interest can be characterized as individuals who may have been contacted or spoken to. These are people who could potentially provide leads; we have not yet spoken with all of them. Among those we have identified, there are already families who want to coordinate with us and provide information.)
“Hindi pa po natin masiguro doon po sa natitirang numero (POIs) kung ang isa don ay siya talaga ang actual na nakontrata o grupo po,” he added.
(We cannot yet confirm, regarding the remaining number of persons of interest (POIs), whether one of them is the actual person who was contracted or if it involves a group.)
Matibag expressed confidence that their coordination with these POIs will yield positive results in terms of the identification of the “assassin” considering the agency’s “credible” human intelligence.
He said the identification process may take around three to six more months.
Matibag also revealed that among the POIs were members of the Vice President Security Protection Group (VPSPG).
“Meron pong personalidad na kasama doon (One personality involved was from the VPSPG),” Matibag responded to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian’s query if members of the VPSPG were among the POIs.
“Sa aming na-narrow down, merong men in uniform in active service (Based on the individuals we have narrowed down, some are men in uniform who are still in active service),” he added.
“Pwede sila palitan (or ilipat anytime) and that is precisely the reason na ayaw po natin na masunog ‘yung atin pong lead na kinukuha, baka po makaapekto pag nagkaroon ng sudden na galawan,” Matibag added.
(They can be reassigned or transferred at any time, and that is precisely why we do not want to compromise the lead we are pursuing. It could affect the investigation if there is any sudden movement.)
The matter is part of the investigation being conducted by the NBI-Special Investigation Task Force (SITF) formed by Matibag to conduct an investigation on the active and continuous threat against the life of the President.
Upon the questioning of Senator-judge Bam Aquino on the inclusion of the NBI-Transnational Crime Division in the SITF, Matibag said they acknowledge the possibility of danger on the President during his international trips.
He said they are also looking into the possibility of a foreign intervention on the threats against Marcos.
“Yun po ay isa sa purpose (if there is a foreign intervention) talaga kung bakit naming isinama para alamin kung sino. Alam naman po natin para patayin ang isang Presidente, hindi po isa o dalawang tao lang ang nag-uusap ditto. You need ‘yung kakayahan mo, ‘yung capacity mo dito pumapasok kailangan ng pera, kailangan ng network, kailangan ng tao, kaya tinitignan po natin ito lahat,” said Matibag.
(That is one of the purposes of our investigation -- to determine whether there was any foreign intervention and, if so, to identify who was involved. As we all know, carrying out the assassination of a President is not something that can be planned by just one or two people. It requires capability and capacity. This is where funding, networks, and manpower come into play, which is why we are examining all of these aspects.)
“Pero ang isa pong mayoryang rason niyan yun pong pagbabyahe ng ating Pangulo, we have to also monitor it because the possibility of endangering the life of the President during his time outside the country nandon din dahil sa threat,” he added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)