A handwritten letter from Ramil Madriaga — alleging a covert power-sharing deal, a plot to oust the president, and plans to have Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed — has drawn a sharp rebuke from Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team, which says the document will ultimately work in their client’s favor.
Lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. issued the rejection on Tuesday, the same day the House justice committee was scheduled to open its first public hearing on the impeachment complaint against Duterte.
Panelo argued that Madriaga’s April 11 letter, rather than damaging the Vice President’s position, continues to undermine itself. “This is precisely what I meant when I said that the more Ramil Madriaga speaks, the better it becomes for Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense,” he said.
On the substance of the allegations, Panelo was categorical. “His allegations of a secret term-sharing agreement, planned ouster, and assassination plots against PBBM are pure fiction and not even remotely believable,” he said.
The lawyer stressed that no evidence has been produced to back any of the claims, and offered to dismantle them systematically if necessary. “If the need arises, we will be happy to refute each delusional claim point by point with evidence — something that has eluded all his allegations, past and present,” Panelo said.
He also pushed back against any move to place Madriaga under oath before the House panel, arguing the exercise would be self-defeating for those who sought it. “Making Madriaga testify would just reveal his lack of credibility and expose his lies,” he said.
Panelo maintained that the damage to Madriaga’s account was already done without him taking the stand. “He has now succeeded in doing exactly that even before uttering a single word under oath in the House Justice Committee,” he added.
