Sinabi nitong Linggo ng kampo ni Vice President Sara Duterte na hindi sila nababahala sakaling tumestigo si Ramil Madriaga, isang umaming “bagman” umano ng Bise Presidente, sa impeachment hearing sa House of Representatives.
Ayon kay Atty. Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., abogado ni Duterte, sa hiwalay na perjury complaint laban kay Madriaga, naniniwala ang kanilang kampo na hindi totoo ang mga pahayag nito.
“As counsel for VP Sara in the specific perjury complaint versus Madriaga, we don’t mind because we know that whatever he says are lies. And then in the proper forum, which is looking like the Senate, we can definitively prove that he’s a fraud. So we don’t have concerns that he’s testifying,” pahayag ni Panelo sa mga mamamahayag.
Dagdag pa niya, hindi rin nila pipigilan si Madriaga sa pagtestigo dahil sa tingin nila ay ito ang “pinakamahina” na bahagi ng kaso laban kay Duterte.
Ipinunto rin ng kampo ng Bise Presidente na naisumite na sa House justice committee ang kanyang sinumpaang salaysay at mga ebidensya.
“And yet when they (House) talk about Ramil Madriaga, they talk about him like he’s the smoking gun, he’s the missing link to all of this, when really we think he’s the weakest link. As counsel for the perjury case, we’re not going to stop them from self-destructing their case by inviting Madriaga to testify,” dagdag pa ni Panelo.
Batay sa inilabas na court order, pinayagan ng Manila Regional Trial Court si Madriaga na dumalo at tumestigo sa impeachment hearing ng House Committee on Justice na nakatakda sa Martes, Abril 14.
