Court clears VP Sara's self-proclaimed 'bagman' to testify at April 14 impeach hearing
MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court on Tuesday, April 7, granted the House of Representatives' request to bring detained witness Ramil Madriaga before the justice committee on April 14, when the panel is set to air out his explosive claim of being Vice President Sara Duterte's supposed "bagman" of confidential funds.
Judge Alma Crispina B. Collado-Lacorte of the Regional Trial Court Branch 21 issued the order allowing Madriaga to appear at the impeachment hearing next week. This order was issued following a March 31 letter from House justice committee chairperson Rep. Jinky Luistro (Batangas) and House Speaker Bojie Dy III. A copy was shared by Rep. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro) with reporters.
Madriaga, who faces two kidnapping-for-ransom charges, has been held at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City since 2023. Duterte has denied all his allegations and said she has no personal or professional connection with him.
What to expect on April 14
A subpoena issued by the committee on April 6 orders Madriaga to appear at the impeachment hearing and produce his November 29, 2025, affidavit along with any other evidence in his possession.
The panel also subpoenaed lawyer Cynthia Viñas-Pantonal, who notarized the affidavit, to attend the same hearing.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue was also directed by the panel to share the tax records of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, including nearly two decades of income tax returns.
House justice committee vice chair Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon) said the committee could finish the probable cause stage as early as this month and send the case to plenary once Congress resumes session in May.
The panel has hearings scheduled for April 14, 22 and 29.
The committee has also ordered heightened security for Madriaga ahead of his testimony. It has directed the House sergeant-at-arms to ensure his safety.
The directive followed a petition by Rep. Chel Diokno (Akbayan) to place Madriaga under protective custody, which the committee granted after finding "credible threats" to his life.
Duterte has filed a perjury complaint against Madriaga and has called him an accused kidnapper who merely pretended to be a campaign supporter. In her 15-page answer to the impeachment complaints, Duterte dismissed his testimony as "sweeping allegations" unsupported by evidence.
Where the impeachment stands
Madriaga's allegations are being touted as the key new element in this round of complaints from last year's failed attempt, according to lawmakers pushing for Duterte's impeachment.
The House first impeached Duterte in February 2025 with 215 votes, but the Supreme Court struck it down in July 2025. The High Court had ruled that this impeachment case had violated the Constitution's one-year bar on multiple impeachment complaints against the same official. No Senate trial took place.
The new proceedings, filed after the one-year bar lapsed in February 2026, center on two active complaints. The allegations include misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd), bribery of DepEd officials, threats to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the first lady, and unexplained wealth.
Flores said the committee will assess Madriaga's credibility before deciding whether his testimony should be included in any articles of impeachment.
Duterte's camp, meanwhile, has filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to halt the proceedings, which Ridon, a justice committee member, says is "a clear attempt to mislead the Supreme Court and the public."
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