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Alan Robles

Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte discussed removing President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr from office and even considered assassination if a supposed power-sharing deal fell apart, a jailed witness told a House impeachment hearing into Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Ramil Madriaga, a self-described political organiser, intelligence operative and bagman who said he had once been close to Duterte-Carpio, made the sensational allegations before the House Committee on Justice on Tuesday during its clarificatory hearings on the impeachment complaints against the vice-president.
Duterte-Carpio faces four impeachment complaints accusing her of corruption, misconduct, political destabilisation and abuse of power.
Madriaga appeared at the hearing in handcuffs, wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet and escorted by armed guards from the high-security prison where he is being held while on trial for kidnapping.
The vice-president has denied knowing Madriaga, while her lawyers and political allies have tried to stop him from appearing before Congress, filing unsuccessful motions before the Supreme Court and a regional trial court.
In March, Duterte-Carpio herself filed a perjury complaint against him, saying he had lied about being close to her.

Because of those efforts to discredit and block him, Madriaga’s appearance on Tuesday had been widely anticipated, especially after portions of what were said to be his three-page handwritten affidavit were leaked online on Monday.
In a statement on Tuesday, Duterte-Carpio’s lawyer, Paolo Panelo, described the leaked affidavit as “pure fiction” and “not even remotely believable”.
Upon arriving at the hearing, Madriaga produced what he said was a “supplemental affidavit” – a longer 24-page document with even more details than the first.
He said he had started working for the Dutertes as an operative in 2016 and formed a national organisation for Duterte-Carpio’s 2022 campaign. He showed photos of himself campaigning with Duterte-Carpio and also played a short video of the vice-president wishing him well on his birthday.
Speaking on the Duterte-Marcos deal, he said: “The general objective was to ensure that [Marcos] will only serve less than four years of his [six-year] term.
“In the event that [Marcos] will not voluntarily step down or hand over the presidency … measures of overthrowing will be considered which include assassination, mass resignation of government officials, civil disobedience and even an armed assault of Malacanang Palace.”
Madriaga claimed that Duterte also thought of arranging “assassinations or armed hits of several government officials in order to cause massive civil unrest … which will be used as the basis to organise a group of military officers to stage a coup”.
One of his assignments, he said, was to “recruit civil groups, school clubs, fraternities, criminal groups and syndicates”.

According to Madriaga, Duterte “specifically asked me to monitor, operate and sabotage former senator Sonny Trillanes”, an arch-enemy of Marcos.
“However, PRRD [Duterte] was apprehensive in ordering the assassination of Senator Trillanes because of the latter’s support and contacts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”
Madriaga said that from 2016 until recently he had served as a key political worker for the Duterte family, organising a campaign group for Duterte-Carpio called “ISIP [Thought] Pilipinas”.
Among the things he said he had done for the family were “intelligence gathering and sabotage and transport of large sums of money under the direct guidance of either PRRD or Sara [Duterte-Carpio]”.
“I admit that during [Rodrigo Duterte’s] term I served as dummy for the transfer of large amounts of money. These transfers were made through bank accounts that were opened under my name,” Madriaga said.
He claimed these accounts “were opened by people close [to Duterte] who informed me that money will be transferred to these accounts for ‘intelligence operations’ and for laundering”.
After his testimony he signed a bank waiver allowing investigators to examine all the bank accounts listed in his affidavit.

One of the charges against Duterte-Carpio is her failure to account for 612 million pesos in confidential funds as vice-president and secretary of education. In particular she has refused to explain a Commission on Audit report that in 2023, she spent 112 million pesos in 11 days.
Madriaga offered an explanation: during that time he said he had been given instructions to deliver huge duffel bags of cash to a mayor in a nearby province, a political appointee in Manila, and an officer of the Ombudsman.
“I personally disposed of the money in less than 24 hours,” he said.
In his affidavit he also said he had delivered money to then Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
He blamed his downfall on a clash with a key Duterte ally, claiming that former Duterte spokesman Harry Roque framed him for the kidnapping charge that led to his imprisonment in 2025. Roque, who is currently a fugitive from justice in Austria, faces human-trafficking charges in the Philippines.
“I felt betrayed that despite all my efforts to support Sara, to the extent of even committing high-risk acts for her and her family, she did not lift a finger to stop Harry Roque, who is her known ally and supporter, from filing the unfounded kidnapping case against me,” Madriaga said.
At one point in his testimony, he broke down and wept. “Malungkot lang [I’m just sad],” he said.


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Jailed witness reveals Duterte plotted to oust Philippines’ Marcos

Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in 2022. Photo: AP

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A screengrab of a video showing Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio wishing Ramil Madriaga happy birthday. Photo: Handout

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Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad speaks during a press conference in Quezon City, the Philippines, on Tuesday, rejecting claims that Manila had staged a “cyanide stunt” near the Second Thomas Shoal. Photo: EPA

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Ramil Madriaga claims Duterte had considered ‘assassinations or armed hits of several government officials’ to cause unrest and stage a coup


Ramil Madriaga claims Duterte had considered ‘assassinations or armed hits of several government officials’ to cause unrest and stage a coup.


Rodrigo Duterte

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Crime

Sara Duterte-Carpio

Jailed witness reveals Duterte plotted to oust Philippines’ Marcos

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ramil Madriaga claims Duterte had considered ‘assassinations or armed hits of several government officials’ to cause unrest and stage a coup

Ramil Madriaga claims Duterte had considered ‘assassinations or armed hits of several government officials’ to cause unrest and stage a coup