VP Sara Duterte lists Trillanes, Madriaga as impeachment witnesses

Vice President Sara Duterte has listed her accusers, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Ramil Madriaga, as witnesses for her upcoming impeachment trial.

Trillanes and Madriaga were listed as witnesses for the Vice President as contained in the defense panel’s pre-trial brief submitted to the Senate impeachment court on June 15.

The Vice President’s pre-trial brief stated that the purpose of fielding the witnesses, including Trillanes and Madriaga, is “to disprove the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment, establish that the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment are mere conclusions of law and fact” as well as to identify documents and prove other related matters.

“Since the burden of proof never shifts, it is incumbent upon the Prosecution to prove their allegations in the Articles of Impeachment,” the defense panel’s pre-trial brief read.

Aside from Trillanes and Madriaga, other witnesses that the Vice President listed are:

• Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, from the Office of the Ombudsman
• Former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and/or a representative, official and/or employee, whether former or current, of the Office of the Executive Secretary
• Atty. Melvin Matibag and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current of the National Bureau if Investigation (NBI)
• Judge Jaime Santiago (Ret.) and/or a representative, official and/or employee, whether former or current, of the NBI
• Asst. Director Glenn Ricarte and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, of the NBI
• Carolyn Moldez-Pitoy and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, of the NBl's Questioned Documents Division
• Antonio Magbojos and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, of the NBl's Questioned Documents Division
• Marizza Grande and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, of the Philippine Statistics Authority
• Atty. Gloria Camara and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, of the Commission on Audit's (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office
• Former Budget chief Amenah Pangandaman and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, of the Department of Budget and Management
• Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura and/or at least two representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, of the Anti-Money Laundering Council
• The notary public who notarized the sinumpaang salaysay dated April 21, 2026 of Antonio Trillanes IV - who will testify on the supposed notarial act, to identify documents, and other related matters
• Director Gerardo Del Rosario and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, from the Securities and Exchange Commission
• Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza and/or a representative, official, and/or employee, whether former or current, from the Bureau of Internal Revenue
• Former Department of Education Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado
• John Mark Calilung of the NBI
• Jeremy Lotoc of the NBI
• Homer Angluben of the NBI
• Atty. Al Matthew Umali of the NBI
• Atty. Ria Vanessa Asuncion of the NBI
• Atty. Yentl Malicad of the NBI
• At least two representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, of the Office of the Ombudsman - Mindanao
• At least six representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, permanent or temporary, of the City Government of Davao City
• At least two representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, of the Office of the President
• At least five representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, from the COA
• At least seven representatives, officials, or employees, whether former or current, from the Department of Education
• At least seven representatives, officials, or employees, whether former or current, from the Office of the Vice President
• At least five representatives, officials, or employees, whether former or current, from the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group
• At least two representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, from the Department of Justice
• At least two representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, from the Land Transportation Office
• At least two representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
• At least five representatives, officials, and/or employees, whether former or current, of other National Government Agencies
• At least five representatives, directors, officers, owners, and/or employees, whether former or current, from the corporations, entities, or businesses listed in respondent's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs)
• At least two representatives, officials, employees, whether former or current, of the Civil Service Commission
• At least five representatives and/or employees and/or investigative journalists, whether current or former, of media outlets, and/or social media news outlets
• At least five expert witnesses
• At least three forensic accountants
• Notaries public of any and all documentary evidence, including but not limited to affidavits, documents, and/or contracts, that will be presented either by the defense or the prosecution during the course of trial
• Signatories and/or witnesses of any and all documentary evidence, including but not limited to, affidavits, documents, and/or contracts, that will be presented by either the defense or the prosecution during the course of trial
• Witnesses who will controvert, refute, and/or disprove any and all testimonial, object, and/or documentary evidence that will be presented by the prosecution during the course of trial.

“Until the prosecution is able to present any such credible, competent, and admissible evidence, the respondent reserves the right to present additional controverting evidence,” the pre-trial brief added.

The Articles of Impeachment approved by the House for Senate action accuse the Vice President of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery and other high crimes, based on the following acts:

a) systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to P500 million released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as Education chief

b) amassing unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official

c) failure to fully and truthfully disclose all her and her spouse's assets, liabilities, and net worth in her statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), including in her SALN for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024;

d) failure to divest, and instead, willfully continued, all her business interests during her tenure as vice president for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025

e) giving monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws.

f) contracting for the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former Speaker of the House and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, by making grave threats, and by actively inciting sedition against the Republic.

Items a, e and f constitute Article 1, 3 and 4, while items b, c and d are all subsections of Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment.

Prior to the House members voting to impeach the Vice President, the following were revealed during the House impeachment hearings:

- Detainee Ramil Madriaga’s account of disbursing P125 million worth of confidential funds of the Vice President within 24 hours with cash deliveries in Laguna, Quezon City, and the Office of the Ombudsman;

- Madriaga signing a bank waiver to prove that he has nothing to hide;

- Madriaga alleging that the Vice President’s election campaign may have been financed by Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, which has been linked to anomalous government procurement;

- The Commission on Audit (COA) revealing that the notice of disallowance on the P73 million confidential fund in 2022 was upheld by the COA commission proper;

- The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) representatives testifying on signatures in the acknowledgment receipts of recipients of confidential funds;

- COA’s Gloria Camora, a lawyer of COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, confirming that COA also issued three notices of disallowance on three releases of confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2023 worth P125 million each or P375 million in total;

- the testimonies of then DepEd Undersecretary Mercado, DepEd Director 4 Resty Osias and DepEd Accounts Rhunna Catalan during the 2024 House committee on good government and public accountability panel hearings which pinpointed then DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda as the one who gave them monies in envelopes per the instructions of Vice President Duterte in their capacity as DepEd officials in charge of procurement and financial approvals

- the Philippine Statistics Authority testifying that recipients of confidential funds, such as Mary Grace Piattos, Milky Secuya, and Kokoy Villamin, do not have records in the country’s civil registry;

- the AMLC report showing that Vice President was the subject of suspicion in 27 confidential reports dated August 2, 2024 to January 29, 2026 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, graft and corrupt practices, and malversation of public funds and property in connection with the House Quad Committee hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, news reports alleging the involvement of the Vice President’s husband in the P6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and the news reports on the Vice President’s alleged misuse of confidential funds;

- the AMLC report showing that her husband, Atty. Carpio, as subject of suspicion in 17 confidential reports from September 14, 2017 to April 25, 2025 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, and malversation of public funds and property “in connection with the news reports on alleged his involvement in the P6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and news articles in relation to his wife, VP Sara’s, alleged misuse of confidential/intelligence funds”;

- the AMLC confirmation that at least 18 bank transactions linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her family members, as cited in the affidavit of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, match records of covered and suspicious transaction reports; and

- the NBI findings that the video of a press conference showing Vice President Duterte making a threat to kill President Marcos Jr. and his family members in certain circumstances constitutes inciting to sedition and three counts of grave threat, among others. —LDF, GMA News