NBI probes Duterte family land holdings after cash-delivery accusations surface

The National Bureau of Investigation, led by Director Melvin Matibag, has opened a probe into real-estate holdings tied to Vice President Sara Duterte and her family after a sworn affidavit alleged that former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. delivered cash to her, Representative Paolo Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte at the behest of ex-House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. Matibag said the investigation follows a "land banking" pattern previously identified in the Velasco family, where land is bought, developed into resorts, hotels and luxury villages.

Fourteen properties listed in the vice president’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth are being examined, including agricultural land in Barangay Catigan valued at roughly P437,000-P450,000 and a Samal parcel purportedly worth P1 million. Discrepancies such as undeclared improvements on the Catigan site were highlighted. The NBI will compile its findings and submit them to the Department of Justice or the Office of the Ombudsman. Paolo Duterte has challenged the NBI to produce concrete evidence, urging the agency to correct the record if the allegations are unfounded.