MANILA — The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday rejected allegations made by Ramil Madriaga, branding them as “pure fiction” and asserting they only reinforce the weakness of the case against her as impeachment proceedings unfold in the House of Representatives.
During the hearing of the House committee on justice on the impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President, Madriaga detailed how he knew the former President Rodrigo Duterte and how he made his way into the family’s inner circle.
Duterte-Carpio’s legal counsel Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. dismissed the claims — which include an alleged term-sharing deal, a supposed plot to oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and purported assassination plans — as fabricated and devoid of evidence.
“His allegations of a secret term-sharing agreement, planned ouster, and assassination plots against PBBM are pure fiction, and not even remotely believable,” Panelo said in a statement sent to Panay News.
Madriaga’s testimony has been long-awaited by several sectors, as many consider his allegations as the missing portion regarding allegations of confidential fund (CF) misuse.
Panelo stressed that the defense stands ready to debunk the accusations should the proceedings require it.
“If the need arises, we will be happy to refute each delusional claim point by point with evidence — something that has eluded all his allegations, past and present,” he said.
Madriaga, who claims to have previously worked as an aide and “bagman” for Duterte-Carpio, appeared before the House Committee on Justice on Tuesday as part of the ongoing impeachment proceedings.
A handwritten letter attributed to Madriaga alleged that former President Rodrigo Duterte had planned to remove Marcos from office in 2025 to install his daughter as president.
Panelo, however, maintained that Madriaga’s statements ultimately undermine the accusations against the Vice President.
“This is precisely what I meant when I said that the more Ramil Madriaga speaks, the better it becomes for Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense,” he said.
“I have repeatedly said that making Madriaga testify would just reveal his lack of credibility and expose his lies. He has now succeeded in doing exactly that even before uttering a single word under oath in the House Justice Committee,” he added./PN
