Witness Madriaga Reveals Alleged Duterte Family Orders in Emotional Testimony
In a dramatic hearing before the House Committee on Justice, witness Ramil Madriaga disclosed that he was allegedly instructed by the Duterte family to assist in releasing confiscated shipments, which were later discovered to contain billions of pesos worth of shabu. Madriaga became emotional and tearful as he read from his 49-page supplemental affidavit, detailing his purported connections and transactions with former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte.
Alleged Instructions and Shocking Discovery
According to Madriaga, he was allegedly directed by former President Duterte between 2017 and 2018 to help Manases Carpio with an unspecified task. He later learned this involved facilitating the release of seized "construction equipment" from the Bureau of Customs. Madriaga stated that he met Carpio in Bonifacio Global City, where he was asked to assist in processing the release of equipment flagged by the agency.
However, upon personally visiting the Bureau of Customs a few days later, Madriaga discovered that the so-called "construction equipment" were magnetic lifters suspected to contain a large quantity of shabu. He added that a female lawyer informed him the shipment was difficult to release as it was considered a "hot item." After this, Madriaga reported his findings to Carpio, and they met again, which he claims was the last time he was involved in the issue.
Missing Drugs and Denied Connections
Madriaga further revealed that he later found out the contents of the magnetic lifters—estimated at no less than 500 kilograms of shabu worth P4.3 billion—had allegedly gone missing. He also insisted that Vice President Sara Duterte's statement denying any connection with him was untrue. As proof, Madriaga presented alleged evidence of their association to the justice panel, including photographs, video call screenshots, and emails.
Background and Emotional Testimony
In his testimony, Madriaga admitted he was once a loyal supporter of the Duterte family and part of the group Initiative for Social Justice, Innovation, and Progress Pilipinas (ISIP), which backed their campaign. During his presentation, Madriaga grew emotional and cried while recounting his experiences and the alleged orders he followed. Currently, there is no official statement from the named personalities regarding these allegations.
