MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) summoned former speaker Lord Allan Velasco and his wife, Rowena, and invited Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte to appear before the bureau on Oct. 5, 2026 in connection with allegations raised by former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.
The development came as Justice Secretary Frederick Vida confirmed on Thursday that the DOJ was evaluating Gracioso’s affidavit, which was received by the NBI only Thursday or Friday last week.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag, in a letter dated Sept. 30, said the bureau was investigating the allegations contained in Gracioso’s sworn statement.
The invited personalities were asked to attend a conference at 10 a.m. on Oct. 5 at the NBI office at Filinvest Cyberzone Bay City along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City.
The NBI said that the insights from those involved could help ensure a fair, thorough, and impartial investigation. Additionally, the bureau provided Rep. Duterte with a copy of Gracioso’s sworn statement for his review.
Matibag said the invitations were part of the bureau’s effort to hear from personalities mentioned in the affidavit.
“Part of the investigation is also to invite the personalities mentioned in the affidavit,” Matibag told reporters, stressing that the move was an invitation and not a subpoena.
Invitees may be accompanied by legal counsel or authorized representatives and are encouraged to submit any relevant documentation or statements to assist in clarifying the issues. The NBI noted that scheduling adjustments were possible to accommodate any conflicts with official duties.
In his affidavit, Gracioso—who identified himself as a former security chief for Velasco—alleged that he delivered cash to members of the Duterte family under Velasco’s direction. He estimated that over P2 billion was transferred to the vice president across more than 20 incidents, with individual amounts purportedly ranging from P20 million to P50 million.
These allegations remain unverified, and the vice president has denied knowing Gracioso or receiving funds from him, while the Velasco camp has dismissed the claims as baseless.
Vida stressed that the affidavit remained subject to verification and credibility assessment, saying that investigators need to consider the factual circumstances, possible motivations and the totality of the evidence, with any testimony ultimately needing to withstand judicial scrutiny and cross-examination.
According to Vida, the question of jurisdiction will also depend on who may ultimately be identified as respondents as he pointed out that allegations involving government officials may fall within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman, while matters involving private individuals may be handled by the DOJ, depending on the circumstances and applicable law.
