Melvin Matibag named new NBI director
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Atty. Melvin Matibag,a known ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, as the new director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro announced on Thursday.
Matibag, who was Duterte’s Cabinet Secretary and is now Secretary General of Partido ng Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban), will replace acting NBI Director Atty. Angelito Magno, who was then named Director IV.
Castro did not provide a reason for the change in leadership at the NBI or when Matibag will officially take office.
“Ang rason ay hindi po naipukol satin. ‘Yan lamang po ang aking maibibigay sa ngayon,” she said at a press briefing.
(I was not given the reason. That is all I can tell you now.)
“Nandun po ‘yung tiwala. Nakitaan po niya [Marcos] si Atty. Matibag na maaaring pagtiwalaan, maaaring magtrabaho para sa Pilipino, pero kung ano ‘yung pinakareason, hindi pa po nasasabi sa akin in detail,” she also said.
(That trust is there. He saw Atty. Matibag as someone who could be trusted, who could work for the Filipino people, but what the real reason was, he hasn’t told me in detail yet.)
Matibag served as general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority and as president and chief executive officer of the National Transmission Corporation.
‘NBI thanks Magno, commits full support for Matibag’
Shortly after Malacañang’s announcement, the NBI released a statement thanking Magno “for his steadfast and principled leadership.”
“Throughout his tenure, Director Magno guided the Bureau with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering dedication to public service, reinforcing the NBI’s role as a cornerstone of justice and accountability,” the NBI said.
The bureau, meanwhile, assures Matibag of its “full cooperation and steadfast support” amid the leadership transition.
The NBI also said it “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.”
Meanwhile, Magno said in the statement that he has “full confidence” that the NBI will carry on the work under the new leadership./gsg
