A lawyer representing Ramil Madriaga said their camp is convinced of the credibility of his client’s claims involving Vice President Sara Duterte, citing consistent testimonies and what he described as “living witnesses” who can corroborate the allegations.

In an interview with DZRH, Atty. Raymund Palad said he took on Madriaga as a client through referrals, a common practice in legal circles, especially among inmates in high-profile detention facilities.

“These are usually via referral. I have many clients in Annex 2 because a lot of high-profile inmates are detained there. When you secure acquittals, word spreads. Families contact you to ask for representation,” Palad said in Filipino.

Palad said his initial assessment of Madriaga, who allegedly served as a former bagman of Duterte, was based on multiple interviews and verification of details provided by the detainee.

“In the first two meetings, the stories were still shallow. We had to verify everything outside. Every time he mentioned a name, we called to confirm. What convinced us was his consistency, his story never changed even after repeated meetings,” he said.

He added that Madriaga preferred to answer questions directly rather than rely on written affidavits during proceedings.

“He answers straight without looking at his affidavit. I even read parts of it for him to ensure consistency, but he insisted he could answer on his own,” Palad said.

During hearings, Palad said Madriaga appeared focused, though physically affected by detention conditions.

“In jail, he speaks softly and has difficulty adjusting to bright light because, according to him, his cell is dark,” he said.

Palad maintained that beyond Madriaga’s affidavit, other detainees have provided accounts supporting his claims.

“Two of his co-accused, who are also detained in Annex 2, confirmed events even without affidavits. One of them recounted that after handing over a Philippine flag, Madriaga and the vice president talked for about 30 minutes, planning campaign activities,” he said.

The lawyer said these individuals could serve as corroborating witnesses.

“They are what we call ‘living witnesses.’ Based on their accounts, we are convinced that his story has supporting testimony that can be corroborated,” Palad added.

Intel works

Palad also described Madriaga as someone who claimed to have worked in intelligence-related roles in the past.

“He said he worked as an intelligence operator, in counterintelligence, and even as a political adviser. He claimed he trained abroad in intelligence operations under an assumed name,” he said.

However, Palad clarified that Madriaga is not affiliated with the police or military and had previously been convicted in a kidnapping case in the late 1990s.

“He was sentenced by the court to the death penalty due to a kidnapping case in 1996 or 1997,” he said.

The allegations linking Madriaga to Duterte have been denied by the vice president.