Sara Duterte no hand in Madriaga ‘death threat’ —lawyer

Vice President Sara Duterte has nothing to do with the alleged threat to the life of Ramil Madriaga, her legal counsel Paolo Panelo Jr. said Friday. 

In a statement, Panelo said Duterte’s camp is actually joining calls to provide Madriaga with additional protection.

“We want him alive and in the pink of health because he’s the only one who can admit that he made up his testimony against the Vice President, and identify his handlers,” Panelo said. 

“If he stands firm on his testimony, we want him to come forward and add details to his overly general and obviously fabricated accusations, so we can shatter his testimony even more,” he added. 

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Thursday clarified that the alleged threat to Madriaga's life stemmed from an altercation with another person deprived of liberty at the Taguig City Jail.

This came after Madriaga’s camp sought the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) assistance to confirm the nature of the alleged death threat from an inmate to their client, the inmate's identity, and whether protective measures were undertaken.

Duterte on Wednesday filed a perjury complaint against Madriaga, her alleged former aide who claimed that her campaign was funded by drug dealers and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

To recall, Madriaga claimed in December 2025 that drug dealers and POGO operations funded the Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP) Pilipinas national campaign and other parallel groups. 

His allegations have been included in an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

Duterte, however, refuted having a personal relationship with Madriaga, stressing that he has offered no proof or documents to support his “bare allegations.” 

The Vice President further alleged that Madriaga appears to be “acting out of desperation” to secure his release from detention, and is working to undermine her possible plans to run for president. —VAL, GMA Integrated News