In a follow-up to his 2024 affidavit accusing Vice President Sara Duterte of ties to drug dealers and offshore gaming operators funding her 2022 campaign, detainee Ramil Madriaga rejected a P500 million to P1 billion bribe offer from former colleagues to stay silent, his lawyer revealed. The disclosure coincides with a jail confrontation prompting transfer requests for his safety.
Ramil Madriaga's lawyer, Raymund Palad, disclosed on One News' 'Storycon' that former colleagues—possibly law school classmates from San Sebastian College or ISIP Pilipinas members—offered his client P500 million to P1 billion before February 14, 2026, to prevent testimony on VP Sara Duterte's alleged links to drug dealers and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) that funded her 2022 presidential bid. '500 million to one billion pesos. You don’t need to recant, but just don’t testify. Name your price,' Palad quoted the offer. Madriaga rejected it outright.
Detained since 2023 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig for the alleged 2022 kidnapping of two Chinese nationals, Madriaga faced a confrontation Tuesday night during his daily one-hour exercise period (5-6 p.m.), when other inmates were confined to cells. A detainee in a basketball uniform approached, poked his waist, and appeared to grab at his back. Madriaga pushed him away, called for guards, and the assailant fled but was identified.
Transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa from Pasay two weeks prior, Madriaga's team, via lawyer Mark Anthony Te's letter to NBI Director Melvin Matibag, prompted an investigation. They plan to petition a Manila court for relocation, potentially to NBI's Building 14 at New Bilibid Prison or Camp Aguinaldo. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) added a control gate to his cell and relocated the involved detainee and cellmates.
No updates yet from the House of Representatives on coordinating his safety and attendance for impeachment hearings, per Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon. Palad affirmed Madriaga's readiness to testify before the Ombudsman, House, or Senate despite facing perjury and cyber libel charges. 'Madriaga will not back down because the affidavit is the truth,' he said. Opposition Rep. Leila de Lima called Madriaga as credible as ICC-recognized whistleblowers.
