Madriaga: Rodrigo Duterte ordered Trillanes sabotage

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte has allegedly ordered sabotage operations against former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, but was “apprehensive” of ordering his assassination due to his military ties, a claim denied by the camp of the ex-chief executive.

Ramil Madriaga made these revelations on Tuesday as he testified under oath before the House justice panel deliberation on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Madriaga revealed that Duterte, during his term, assigned him as a counterintelligence agent for the National Security Council.

However, he clarified that he was not under the Office of the President and other government agencies and instead was “directly employed” by the former president.

“As part of my duties, PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte specifically instructed me to monitor, operate, and sabotage former Senator Sonny Trillanes,” Madriaga said.

READ: READ: Ramil Madriaga’s supplemental affidavit

“However, PRRD was apprehensive in ordering the assassination of Sen. Trillanes because of the latter’s support and contacts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he continued.

READ: House panel summons Trillanes, AMLC to Sara Duterte impeach hearing

Nothing has been said further of Madriaga’s claim pertaining to Trillanes.

Paolo Panelo, the legal counsel of Vice President Sara Duterte, said Madriaga’s claims are “unbelievable and illogical.”

“Far from strengthening the case, the Supplemental Affidavit only heightens the unbelievable and illogical nature of his claims, foremost of which is why former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte would entrust sensitive security and intelligence matters to someone outside the military-police chain of command,” Panelo said in a statement.

“Majority of the Filipino people will see through the lies and the performance, but we relish the opportunity to dismantle his claims once again,” he added.

Also, Salvador Panelo, the presidential spokesperson during Duterte’s term, said Madriaga’s claims are “nonsense.”

“It’s a lot of nonsense and malicious imputation of a canard, engineered by the enemies of PRRD,” Panelo told Inquirer in a text message. 

In 2019, former President Duterte accused Trillanes of being behind the viral video alleging that his son, Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, is receiving payoffs from an illegal drug syndicate, an accusation that he has denied.

Trillanes was one of the parties that filed complaints against Duterte before the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity over the war on drugs during his term.

Meanwhile, Trillanes has also been summoned by the House justice panel to testify on Duterte’s impeachment proceedings on April 22. /mr /atm/cb