MANILA — The legal camp of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday dismissed concerns over the testimony of alleged “bagman” Ramil Madriaga, signaling confidence as the House Committee on Justice presses ahead with hearings on impeachment complaints against the country’s second-highest official.
Lawyer Salvador Panelo Jr., counsel for Duterte-Carpio in a perjury case filed against Madriaga, described the witness as unreliable and insisted his appearance before lawmakers would not strengthen the allegations against the Vice President.
“As counsel for the perjury case, we’re not gonna stop them from self-destructing their case by inviting Madriaga to testify,” Panelo said in a virtual briefing.
He maintained that the complaint against Madriaga was filed to hold him accountable for his allegations, not to block his participation in the congressional inquiry.
“Kung magpo-provide siya ng additional details sa House Justice Committee, talagang gagamitin namin ‘yun against him kasi kumpyansa kami na kahit anong sabihin niya, kasinungalingan,” Panelo added.
Madriaga, in a sworn affidavit, claimed he acted as Duterte-Carpio’s “bagman,” allegedly handling large sums of money and carrying out sensitive tasks on her behalf—accusations that the Vice President has firmly denied.
Panelo also rejected insinuations that Duterte-Carpio’s camp was behind alleged threats against the witness, emphasizing that they want him to appear before the panel.
“So, we don’t want anything bad happen to him, we want him to testify, we want him to trip on himself, on his lies for the world to see,” he said.
However, Madriaga’s lawyer, Atty. Raymund Palad, countered that such statements were meant to undermine his client’s credibility even before he takes the stand.
“This is a clear attempt to discredit a witness in advance and shape public perception ahead of the facts,” Palad said in a statement.
He stressed that Madriaga is prepared to testify under oath and present evidence before the committee.
“He welcomes the opportunity to present his account in the proper forum, where credibility is determined by evidence—not press briefings,” he added.
The House Committee on Justice is scheduled to hear Madriaga’s testimony as part of its continuing evaluation of impeachment complaints against Duterte-Carpio./PN
