Melvin Matibag Tells Leandro Leviste: ‘No One Is Above the Law’

MANILA, Philippines — “No one is above the law.”

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag made the remark in response to a Facebook post by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, who looked back on the congratulatory message the NBI chief sent him following his victory in last year’s elections.

On Monday, Leviste posted a screenshot of Matibag’s message, which stated: “Congrats, Cong. Lian! I’m so proud of you. I hope I get to live long enough to see you one day leading our country. It’s such an honor to know you. God bless you always!”

Leviste also said in the post that the NBI director is a family friend and was actually one of his mentors when he was still about to enter the world of politics.

“We have talked many times and you have shared a lot to me. Out of respect, I have not posted about you even though you are often in the news,” Leviste told Matibag in the post.

“I will just say that, because you know me, you know that I am not a liar, and what I said—that this story is merely ‘Gawang Recto’—is true. I know that they only ordered you to do it, so I forgive you. And even if the people around you now are gone, come 2028, we can still talk like before,” he added.

Meanwhile, when asked by the INQUIRER his response to Leviste’s post, Matibag simply said in a Viber message, “No one is above the law!”

Matibag explained that his message to Leviste last year occurred when the latter won as congressman of the first district of Batangas.

The NBI is currently investigating the allegation of a nabbed talent manager claiming that Leviste, along with former Negros Oriental Rep. Jing Paras, was involved in a supposed plan to frame Executive Secretary Ralph Recto in a human trafficking modus operandi.

Matibag said that the talent manager’s affidavit revealed that he was allegedly contracted by Paras to have four women release fabricated statements claiming that Recto forced them to use illegal drugs and have sex with him in exchange for a total of P5 million.

Leviste was allegedly the financier of the “honeytrap” scheme.

The NBI already issued subpoenas for Leviste and Paras, requiring them to appear before the bureau on Thursday to shed light on the allegations.

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