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Madriaga among 25 witnesses eyed by prosecution in VP Duterte impeachment trial

Ramil Madriaga arrives at the House of Representatives and is sworn in before the House Committee on Justice on April 14, 2026, as he testifies during the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte. The hearing continues to gather testimonies and evidence as part of the ongoing inquiry to establish whether there is probable cause in relation to the impeachment complaint filed against VP Duterte.

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Ramil Madriaga, who identified himself as former aide and alleged bagman of Vice President Sara Duterte, is among the 25 witnesses the House prosecution panel plans to present in her impeachment trial, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said.</p><p>Luistro is lead prosecutor and chair of the committee that held hearings on the complaints against Duterte.</p><p>Madriaga earlier told the House Committee on Justice that he “disposed” of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) P125-million confidential funds in “less than 24 hours,” allegedly upon Duterte’s instructions.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/15/who-is-ramil-madriaga-1437">Who is Ramil Madriaga?</a></div><p>“We&#x27;re inclined to include him in the presentation for confidential funds,” Luistro said.</p><p>“Until and unless they are presented, the prosecution always has an option to decide or reconsider kung isasalang or hindi. But definitely, Ramil Madriaga is already included,” Luistro added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/14/more-witnesses-expected-as-house-conducts-2nd-vp-sara-impeachment-hearing-0848">Madriaga appears at second Duterte impeachment hearing</a></div><p>Duterte has denied the allegations, saying all of the issues raised against her are related to politics. She has also described House hearings on the complaints a &quot;fishing expedition&quot; for information that would make her look bad.</p><p>Bank officials who have personal knowledge on the accounts of the vice president and of her husband, are also part of the prosecution’s witness list.</p><p>They are expected to shed light on the Anti-Money Laundering Council report on the couple’s covered and suspicious transactions.</p><p>The House prosecution will also ask the Senate sitting as an impeachment court to subpoena the bank accounts linked to Duterte, according to Bicol Saro Party-List Rep. Terry Ridon, also a prosecutor and who has been designated lead for the article on Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/13/mans-carpio-sues-saballa-madriaga-others-for-reputational-lies-and-damages-1716">Mans Carpio sues Saballa, Madriaga, others for reputational lies and damages</a></div><p>“Mayroon po kaming listahan ng mga bangko at account numbers po ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo at ng kanyang asawa. So, lahat po ng mga bangko kung saan po sila mayroong mga accounts, we will seek a subpoena on all of these banks,” he said.</p><p>He said the list includes accounts in &quot;more than five&quot; banks but prosecutors might not need to summon officials from all of these banks.</p><p>“Pero most definitely, we will subpoena all the accounts to look into the statements,” he added.</p><p>The prosecution’s witness list also includes “hostile” witnesses, or individuals whose interests are allegedly aligned with the respondent.</p><p>Luistro did not identify them but said they previously held positions in the OVP and the Department of Education during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.</p><p>“They are the same people we presented during the (19th Congress House) Committee on Good Government Hearing. ‘Yung mga taong involved sa utilization of confidential funds, as well as in the distribution of the alleged payola envelopes,” Luistro said.</p><p>Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, as well as officials from the AMLC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of the Ombudsman, and National Bureau of Investigation, are also on the prosecution’s witness list.</p><p>Ridon said prosecutors are still considering whether to include officials from the Civil Service Commission and other agencies who may have knowledge of the salaries Duterte received from government posts she previously held.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ASSIGNMENTS ADJUSTED</strong></div><p>The House prosecution panel has also adjusted assignments for prosecutors leading two articles of impeachment, as Luistro opted to focus on her role as lead prosecutor.</p><p>Manila Rep. Joel Chua will now lead the article on confidential funds, while Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores will handle the article on alleged bribery.</p><p>Apart from mock trials, prosecutors are also attending workshops on witness presentation in preparation for the proceedings.</p><p>“We&#x27;re ready to appear. Ang nawawala na lang is ‘yung official notices from the impeachment,” Luistro said.</p><p>Luistro also said a majority of House prosecutors believe senator-judges should be physically present during the impeachment trial and voting.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/29/prosecutor-waiting-with-anticipation-for-vp-sara-s-answer-to-impeach-raps-1523">House prosecutor &#x27;waiting with anticipation&#x27; for VP Sara&#x27;s answer to impeachment raps</a></div><p>“This is very sacred, this is very solemn. It concerns the interest of the entire Philippine nation and that is why our submission is that the senator-judges should be physically present,” she said.</p><p>“They should witness the presentation of evidence because they need to see the demeanor of all these witnesses for them to decide whether the witnesses are telling the truth or otherwise. And if they are present during the presentation of witnesses, the more reason that they should be present during the casting of votes is because that is a constitutional duty to the sovereign Filipino people,” she added.</p><p>Prosecutors also hopel that despite the differences between the Senate majority and minority blocs, there will be a quorum for the Senate to reconvene as an impeachment court on July 6 for the expected start of Duterte’s trial.</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/XTZBomAsXUI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Ramil Madriaga, who identified himself as former aide and alleged bagman of Vice President Sara Duterte, is among the 25 witnesses the House prosecution panel plans to present in Duterte’s impeachment trial, House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said.</p>

Ramil Madriaga, who identified himself as former aide and alleged bagman of Vice President Sara Duterte, is among the 25 witnesses the House prosecution panel plans to present in Duterte’s impeachment trial, House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said.

Madriaga among 25 witnesses eyed by prosecution in VP Duterte impeachment trial

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Madriaga among 25 witnesses eyed by prosecution in VP Duterte impeachment trial

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News,

Published May 29, 2026 05:39 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

impeachment

prosecution witnesses

Sara Duterte

Ramil Madriaga

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