The House of Representatives needs to coordinate with the court and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) regarding the future attendance of detained witness Ramil Madriaga to the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the Committee on Justice, said that jurisdiction over Madriaga rests with the court.

“I think Congress will have to coordinate with the court and the BJMP para ma-secure po ‘yung safety ni Mr. Madriaga na kapag ho invited to the House he can actually in fact attend the proceedings,” Ridon said during the Saturday Media Forum on Feb. 28 at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

(I think Congress will have to coordinate with the court and the BJMP to ensure the safety of Mr. Madriaga, so that when he is invited to the House, he can in fact attend the proceedings.)

At any rate, Ridon considered Madriaga's affidavit as "new" evidence against Vice President Duterte, who the House successfully impeached in 2025 via the "fast-track" method.

Madriaga--described in the impeachment complaints filed this year as the alleged “bagman” of the Vice President--is detained at a BJMP facility in connection with a separate criminal case pending before a trial court.

His sworn affidavit has been submitted as part of the impeachment complaints and is being cited as a new piece of evidence.

According to complainants, the affidavit alleges that Madriaga acted as an intermediary in the supposed handling and movement of confidential and intelligence funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) when Duterte was still its secretary.

It reportedly details how certain funds were withdrawn or transferred, names individuals allegedly involved, and references documents meant to support claims that the transactions were carried out with knowledge or authority of the Vice President.

Madriaga also claimed in his affidavit that Vice President Duterte’s election campaign effort in 2022 was funded with money from Philippine Offshore and Gaming Operators (POGO) and drug dealers.

Ridon said the Madriaga affidavit represents the most significant new development in the current impeachment case.

“So we will look at all of these allegations, particularly the new allegations of Ramil Madriaga with a very critical eye. Kasi very important ho na ma-thoroughly [examine] lahat po ng mga babanggitin po niya na mga alegasyon at mga nakasaad sa kanya pong affidavit,” he said.

(Because It is very important that all the allegations he will mention, as well as those contained in his affidavit, be thoroughly examined.)

No Madriaga appearance yet

However, Ridon stressed that Madriaga cannot yet be called to testify, as the House Committee on Justice must first determine sufficiency in form and sufficiency in substance.

“At this point, siyempre ang kailangan po munang ma-surmount ng mga complainants and endorsers, ‘yun pong determination of sufficiency in form and substance (At this point, of course, what the complainants and endorsers must first surmount is the determination of sufficiency in form and substance),” he said. This will be the main agenda of the hearings to be held from March 2 to 4.

He explained that if both thresholds are met, the Vice President will be formally given the opportunity to respond before the hearings on the evidence begin.

“Dito na po natin pwedeng ipatawag si Ramil Madriaga at pwede rin pong mag-request po ng additional documentation and iba pang mga papeles mula po sa iba’t-ibang mga ahensya po ng gobyerno,” explained the lawyer-solon.

(At this stage, we can summon Ramil Madriaga, and we may also request additional documentation and other papers from various government agencies.)