Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed Thursday that Ramil Madriaga — the man who identified himself as Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged bagman — has already named specific contracted hitmen in his disclosures.
“It was an option from the very start. In fact, may mga na-name na siya na contracted hitman. I think it will come out in the future testimonies, lalabas pa,” Remulla said in an interview on Unang Hirit’s On Record.
Madriaga’s supplemental affidavit, read before the House justice panel’s ongoing impeachment hearing against the Vice President, alleged that former President Rodrigo Duterte had plotted to assassinate — or stage a coup against — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. if the latter failed to step down by 2025. The Vice President’s camp has flatly dismissed the claims as “pure fiction” unsupported by evidence, while Malacañang said Wednesday it would leave further investigation to the National Bureau of Investigation.
Remulla also addressed the broader question of security risks surrounding the President, saying threats are a permanent feature of the office.
“There is always a credible threat against the President. It will never disappear, whether it comes from that camp or any other camp. The President is the most protected person in the Philippines, precisely because of the nature of his job,” he said.
The DILG chief was equally blunt in his assessment of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who at the launch of the Reform Alliance for Good Governance and Accountability (RAGE) Coalition on Sunday leveled corruption accusations at the Marcos administration and declared, “Isang ulo lang naman ang kailangan namin. Ang ulo ni Bongbong Marcos.”
Remulla waved off the remarks as unserious. “I don’t think so. Well, some are offended. Pero sup*t naman talaga. Puro dakdak, dakdak nang dakdak,” he said.
“If you want to lead the country, you have to be more statesmanlike. You have to talk about what’s the future of the country. Pero kung gano’n ang salita mo, tapos puro hirit ka lang, eh kumbaga noong college tayo, tawag mo doon sup*t talaga,” Remulla added.
