Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque claimed the appointment of Atty. Melvin Matibag as director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was a “gift” for filing a disbarment case against him over the viral “polvoronic” video.
“Natanggap na ang gantimpala nang nagsampa ng disbarment case sa akin,” Roque said in a Facebook post.
Matibag, a former Duterte Cabinet official, filed the complaint before the Supreme Court in September 2024, accusing Roque of spreading false claims about a video that allegedly showed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. using illegal drugs.
Roque, now seeking asylum in the Netherlands, dismissed the case as a “desperate act of attention” and said his posts were protected free speech on a matter of public interest.
Matibag cited lawyers’ ethical rules against spreading unverified claims, saying the complaint was not politically motivated.
The NBI’s digital forensic exam later found that the person in the viral video was not Marcos Jr.IMT
