Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

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Rowegie Abanto

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177606920333020260218-vp-sara-duterte-presidency-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections on February 18, 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Ramil Madriaga, who identified himself as Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s former aide and alleged bagman, appeared Tuesday before the House Committee on Justice as it continued hearing the impeachment complaints against her.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/12/what-to-expect-at-the-april-14-house-impeachment-hearing-0808">What to expect at the April 14 House impeachment hearing</a></div><p>Duterte is facing accusations of misusing a total of P612.5-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which she has repeatedly denied.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/13/sara-duterte-s-husband-seeks-tro-vs-subpoena-on-tax-records-lawmaker-1443">Sara Duterte’s husband seeks TRO vs subpoena for tax records — lawmaker</a></div><p>Tuesday&#x27;s meeting is the second of four days of hearings for the panel to determine whether or not there is probable cause to elevate Duterte&#x27;s impeachment case to the House plenary for voting.</p><p>Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the panel, has said that the deliberations could include the testimony of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/25/house-panel-oks-additional-security-for-ramil-madriaga-1422">Madriaga</a>, who accused Duterte of obtaining campaign funds from illegal offshore gaming and drug trafficking operations.</p><p>Madriaga in November 2025 alleged that he had delivered huge sums of money to individuals upon the orders of Duterte, who denied the allegation.</p><p>Representatives from the Commission on Audit and the Philippine Statistics Authority are expected to appear before the committee.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UQXmJXuadjQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>HOUSE URGED TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Batangas Second District Rep. Gerville Luistro, chairperson of the House Committee on Justice, has said that there would be no cross-examination in their hearing, because this would be done during a possible trial at the Senate.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/13/-bakit-may-mini-trial-duterte-supporters-seek-tro-vs-vp-sara-impeachment-hearing-1256">&#x27;Bakit may mini-trial?&#x27;: Duterte supporters seek TRO vs VP Sara impeachment hearing</a></div><p>Luistro and some of her colleagues were earlier criticized for characterizing this stage of impeachment proceedings as a &quot;mini-trial,&quot; as lawyers for Duterte pointed out that an impeachment trial is reserved only for the Senate.</p><p>The lawyers used this description as a basis to question the jurisdiction of the House panel to conduct the hearings.</p><p>Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna said Monday that the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/9/some-lawmakers-welcome-sc-s-non-issuance-of-tro-on-duterte-impeachment-petition-2054">Supreme Court not issuing a temporary restraining order </a>on the impeachment case signaled that the high court does not want to intervene in the proceedings.</p><p>The Supreme Court in 2025 blocked the first impeachment of Duterte due to procedural grounds.</p><p>Azcuna also cautioned the House panel to be careful in its conduct of the hearings.</p><p>&quot;So far, I think the House has confined itself to its constitutional duty to determine probable cause. Even though, I think it is also bordering on role of the Senate to try case. House should also be careful, they should only be gathering evidence to determine probable cause, not guilt,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;They should also remember they have a deadline to finish its job as impeachment hearing committee. They have only 60 session days.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/25/house-panel-to-subpoena-sara-duterte-saln-nbi-findings-on-threat-vs-marcos-1241">House panel to subpoena Sara Duterte SALN, NBI findings on threat vs Marcos</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>DUTERTE TO AGAIN SKIP HEARING</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Salvador &quot;Paolo&quot; Panelo Jr., counsel for Duterte, said Monday that that they were confident that Madriaga does not have evidence to implicate the Vice President to any wrongdoing.</p><p>Panelo said he saw no reason for Duterte to attend the hearings, as he accused the panel of prejudging the impeachment case.</p><p>Luistro has repeatedly shielded the committee against allegations of bias, saying the panel is carefully conducting the impeachment proceedings to avoid breaking any rules and the Constitution.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/25/sara-duterte-accuses-house-of-prioritizing-politics-as-impeachment-hearing-proper-starts-1111">Sara Duterte skips impeachment hearing proper, accuses House of prioritizing politics over public woes</a></div><p>The remaining two House impeachment hearings will be conducted on April 22 and and 29.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aqhgOTMu2Qg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Ramil Madriaga, who identified himself as Vice President Sara Duterte's former aide and alleged bagman, appeared Tuesday before the House Committee on Justice as it continued hearing the impeachment complaints against her.</p>

Ramil Madriaga, who identified himself as Vice President Sara Duterte's former aide and alleged bagman, appeared Tuesday before the House Committee on Justice as it continued hearing the impeachment complaints against her.

Madriaga appears at second Duterte impeachment hearing

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Madriaga appears at second Duterte impeachment hearing

Rowegie Abanto,

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 14, 2026 08:48 AM PHT

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Updated April 14, 2026 11:44 AM PHT

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Sara Duterte

Sara Duterte Impeachment

Impeachment

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House Committee on Justice

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