Lawyer Melvin Matibag is known to the public as an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte through the once-ruling PDP party. 

Now, Matibag has found another home — in the Marcos administration. As announced by Malacañang press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Thursday, February 19, the lawyer will head the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), an attached agency of the Department of Justice. 

Matibag replaces officer-in-charge Angelito Magno, who was picked by Marcos in October last year following the controversial resignation of former NBI director and retired judge Jaime Santiago.

As the new NBI chief, Matibag will oversee the bureau that is mandated to probe crimes and other legal offenses. 

The bureau also provides technical assistance to all prosecuting and law enforcement agencies, as well as other government agencies, when asked. 

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“The NBI assures Director Matibag of its full cooperation and steadfast support. The Bureau remains unwavering in its commitment to deliver justice without fear or favor and to serve the Filipino people with utmost dedication — regardless of who leads the institution,” the NBI said in a statement.

Who is Matibag?

Matibag is known for his relationship with Duterte. He was once the secretary general of PDP Laban. 

He was named by Duterte as his acting Cabinet secretary in March 2022, or only a few months before the then-president stepped down from the top post. He replaced Karlo Nograles, who was appointed by Duterte as Civil Service Commission chairperson. 

Matibag also served as general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority and president, and chief executive officer of the National Transmission Corporation.

After his stint in the Duterte government, Matibag turned to private law practice as solo practitioner. He also joined the academe, serving as the dean of Lyceum of Alabang’s College of Law.

Matibag obtained his law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1996. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar the following year. 

The new NBI director is married to Laguna 1st District Representative Ann Matibag.

“As you take on this important role, I am filled with deep pride, not only in what you have accomplished, but in the values and principles you bring to public service. This appointment affirms a lifetime of dedication and signals hopeful, principled leadership for the future,” the lawmaker wrote in her Facebook page.

Once a PDP stalwart

Matibag’s loyalty to his former party faced the test of time. 

When the PDP was in shambles, Matibag sided with former energy secretary Alfonso Cusi, the then-PDP vice chairman. This was also a sign of loyalty to Duterte given Cusi’s close ties with the former president. 

Matibag was expelled alongside Cusi from PDP in 2021 for allegedly supporting the 2022 candidacy of then-Davao City mayor Sara Duterte. It was former senator Manny Pacquiao, then-PDP president, who signed the resolutions expelling the two officers. 

A month later, the party also ousted Duterte as party chairman. Duterte was replaced by then-senator Koko Pimentel.

This development divided PDP into two: a wing led by Cusi and Matibag, and another faction led by Pimentel and Pacquiao. The Cusi faction then went to the Commission on Elections to ask the poll body to declare the Pimentel wing as an illegitimate PDP party. 

In the end, the Supreme Court (SC), in September 2025, ruled that the Cusi faction was the legitimate PDP leadership and that Cusi and Matibag were the genuine PDP leaders. Although their wing had the final laugh, Matibag was no longer with the PDP when this happened.

Matibag severed his ties with the PDP amid the confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) scandal of Vice President Duterte in 2023. The former PDP official aired his sentiments that civilian offices, like the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, should not be given CIF.

“For the good of the party and for the benefit of the party, I must step aside because I cannot be part of a political party with… I have separate or different opinion from the leadership,” Matibag said, as quoted by One News.

Loyal to Marcos?

Is leaving PDP enough to prove that Matibag is no longer allied with the Dutertes, especially amid the rift between the Dutertes and the Marcoses?

There had been buzz going around for a while now that Matibag shifted allegiance to Marcos.

“Nando’n po ‘yong tiwala. Nakitaan po niya si Atty. Melvin Matibag na maaaring pagtiwalaan, maaaring magtrabaho para sa gobyerno. Pero kung ano’ng pinaka-reason, hindi pa po nasasabi sa akin in details,” Castro said when asked why Marcos picked Matibag, an official formerly associated with Duterte.

(The trust is there. He saw that Attorney Melvin Matibag can be trusted, that can work in the government. But whatever the deeper reason is, it has yet to be divulged to me.)

Among the earlier indications of Matibag’s change of heart was when he filed a disbarment case against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. Matibag filed the case with the SC after Roque allegedly shared a deepfake video showing Marcos allegedly sniffing a powdery substance in 2024.

“I am into politics just like Atty. Harry Roque, but there is nothing political about this administrative complaint. There is no color to it. It’s just a presentation of facts and legal arguments,” Matibag said as quoted by Inquirer.

Another indication was Matibag’s application to be the next Ombudsman in 2025. The former PDP official was among the 17 applicants who sought the post ultimately coveted by Marcos’ justice secretary, Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla.

Although aspiring ombdusmen go through a selection process initiated by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), their fates still lie with the president. The chief executive – in this case Marcos – had the power to appoint the Ombudsman based on a shortlist provided by the JBC.

During his JBC application, Matibag was asked how he would handle cases as the Ombudsman, if the officials facing charges are from PDP. Matibag then said his investigation would be evidence-based and won’t be affected by politics.

Matibag said then that he supports public access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth, and the resumption of lifestyle checks by the Office of the Ombudsman. These are Ombudsman policies that were halted during Duterte’s time.

“At sabi ko nga ang importante, ang susunod na Ombudsman, dapat ang main task is to gain again, ma-regain ba sa taong bayan ‘yong trust and confidence sa government institution. Nawala na kasi ‘yong kumpiyansa. So dapat dito tayo, dito ang basis natin lagi sa accountability and integrity,” Matibag told reporters.

(And as I’ve said, the next Ombudsman’s task is to regain the public’s trust and confidence in the government institution. People have lost trust. So our basis should always be accountability and integrity.) – Rappler.com