NBI chief Matibag admits lapses in arrest of teacher Ronnel Mas at VP Sara trial

MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag admitted that there were lapses on the part of the bureau in the arrest of a public school teacher in Dagupan in 2020.

During his testimony before the impeachment court on Tuesday, July 21, Matibag said that there were “lapses in procedure” in the arrest of Ronnel Mas, who was arrested after a social media post that was alleged to be a threat against detained former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Well, si Ronnel Mas po was released, precisely the reason why meron pong lapses sa procedure,” Matibag said, responding to the question of senator-judge Raffy Tulfo.

(Well, Ronnel Mas was released for the precise reason that there were lapses in procedure.)

It may be recalled that in 2020, Mas, a public school teacher, posted on Twitter the following: “I will give 50 million reward to whoever kills Duterte.”

The NBI then launched a supposed “hot pursuit” operation after the tweet, based only on a statement from someone who had read it.

NBI agents picked up Mas without a warrant at his home in the Dagupan area, handcuffed him, and presented him to the media, where he made extrajudicial statements admitting that he authored the tweet.

Inquest prosecutors initially ruled that the NBI’s warrantless arrest was invalid, but the Department of Justice later ruled that this defect was “ultimately cured” by his media interview, where he admitted posting the tweet.

In June 2020, Judge Richard Paradeza of Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 72 granted Mas’ motion to quash and dismissed the case.

The court held that it had not acquired jurisdiction over Mas because the NBI’s warrantless arrest was invalid.

The court explained that at the time he was taken, he was not committing any unlawful act, there was no actual “hot pursuit,” and the arrest did not fall under any recognized exception to the warrant requirement.

Because the arrest was unlawful, the court ruled that evidence gathered as a consequence—including his extrajudicial confession to the media—was inadmissible.

When Tulfo asked about the difference between Mas’ act and the threats uttered by Vice President Sara Duterte, and why the NBI did not arrest the latter, Matibag said: “I can only second-guess na maaring may pagkakaiba po ng proseso o tinitignan po ang administrasyon nang panahon na ‘yon at panahon ngayon.”

(I can only second-guess that there might be a difference in the process or how the administration was viewed during that time compared to now.)