Alleged former Duterte administration intelligence officer Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga's "explosive" affidavit--wherein he made claims about Vice President Sara Duterte--warrants an investigation by the House quad-committee (quad-comm).

The militant Makabayan bloc had this to say as it found Madriaga's linking of Vice President Duterte to a series of controversial activities involving confidential funds, Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), and drug syndicates hard to ignore.

"We, the Makabayan bloc in Congress, call for the immediate resumption of the Quad Committee investigation as well as the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability in light of the explosive sworn statement of Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga," they said in a statement.

The Makabayan bloc is composed of ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co.

"Mahalaga ang rebelasyon ni Madriaga dahil nabanggit niya ang mga sumusunod (Madriaga's revelations are important because he mentioned the following): Oplan Double Barrel support operations; the delivery of confidential funds and the roles of Col. Raymund Dante Lachica and Col. Dennis Nolasco in these operations; POGO funding for the Sara Duterte campaign; and the magnetic lifters used for drug deliveries that passed through customs," they said.

"These are not mere political accusations," the militant solons stressed.

Among the acts Madriaga claimed he did upon the order of Vice President Duterte were cash deliveries to a Timog comedy bar where then-Office of the Vice President (OVP) spokesperson Reynold Munsayac was supposedly present, handoffs in the Office of the Ombudsman parking area and at SM Megamall, a delivery using a white Toyota Vios carrying as much as P80 million, and repeated drop-offs at a residence in Jordan Plains, Novaliches.

He also claimed to have organized the Inday Sara Duterte Is My President (ISIP) Pilipinas network and to have worked under figures connected to the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG).

Particularly damning according to the militant solons is claim that the funding for ISIP Pilipinas and other Duterte campaign support groups came from POGO operators and drug dealers, with cash pick-ups conducted at The Gate in Pampanga, Vertis North Mall, Seda Hotel in Quezon City, and the Grand Hyatt in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig.

"These allegations directly implicate the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), which Madriaga helped establish and where he worked under Col. Nolasco and Col. Lachica from July 2022 to April 2023. The involvement of military officers in what appears to be a money laundering and campaign finance operation raises serious questions about the misuse of security personnel and resources," Makabayan said.

No hearings yet

Initially formed in August 2024 during the previous 19th Congress, the quad-comm--led by then-Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers--held a total of 15 marathon hearings on issues like POGOs and the previous Duterte administration's drug war. The highest profile witness or resource person who attended the series of hearings held by the joint panel was ex-president Duterte himself.

The quad-comm hearings have had it's share of viral moments, drawing millions of viewers. At its height, it was akin to a highly-rated television drama.

Although a quad-comm exists in the current 20th Congress, it has yet to hold any hearings. "We call on the House leadership to prioritize this investigation because it part of its oversight duty," the Makabayan solons said.

"Masaklaw ang mga usapin at marapat na magdaos ng inquiry ang quad committee at ang Committee on Good Government kaugnay ng mga usaping ito (The issues are broad, and it is proper that the quad committee and the Committee on Good Government conduct an inquiry regarding these matters). The scope of these allegations demands a comprehensive congressional investigation that can compel testimony, examine documents, and trace the flow of funds."

"At kung mapapatunayang may laman ang mga alegasyon, lalong nagiging mahalaga ang usapin ng impeachment (And if it is proven that the allegations have substance, the matter of impeachment becomes all the more important)—both the motion for reconsideration (MR) currently pending before the Supreme Court (SC) and the potential refiling of impeachment cases if the [MR] is not granted," they said.