(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal counsel said Wednesday that the alleged bagman of the vice president could become a “star witness” for the defense if the prosecution would present him during the ongoing Senate impeachment trial.
Counsel Paolo Panelo said the defense was confident it can use its cross-examination of Ramil Madriaga to expose what it claims were false statements in his affidavits and testimony.
“If the prosecution presents Ramil Madriaga, it’s their funeral because he will just be slaughtered during the defense team’s cross-examination,” Panelo told The Manila Times during an online press conference.
He said the defense was already “telegraphing” its evidence against Madriaga through the perjury complaints filed against him.
“Everything about his lies will come out,” Panelo said, adding that the defense knows Madriaga would have difficulty answering the evidence presented against him.
Panelo said Madriaga was also included as the defense’s first witness, meaning the defense just might call him even if the prosecution decides not to present him.
“I have long said that Ramil Madriaga will be the star witness for the defense if he testifies for the prosecution,” he said.
The defense counsel said the second perjury complaint and its supporting evidence were being transmitted to Duterte’s impeachment defense team for possible use during the trial.
Panelo said the complaints contained evidence intended to challenge Madriaga’s accounts, including his allegations involving the alleged delivery and disbursement of confidential funds.
House prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon hit back at Panelo, saying, “Before Paolo Panelo talks about the prosecution’s witness presentation, he should first make sure he is part of the impeachment defense panel, not merely a spectator like his father.”
Ridon told The Manila Times the prosecution had nearly completed its presentation on the alleged misuse of Duterte’s confidential funds, citing the testimony of former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta.
“Based on Ms. Acosta’s testimony recently, the presentation of evidence on the vice president’s misuse of confidential funds is almost complete,” Ridon said.
He said Acosta’s testimony that Duterte ordered her to release P125 million in confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica was sufficient to establish betrayal of public trust based on the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
Ridon said the prosecution would decide whether it still needed to present additional witnesses in the coming days.
