FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte allegedly orchestrated sabotage operations against former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV during his term, but hesitated to order an assassination due to Trillanes’ military background.
These revelations were made by Ramil Madriaga on Tuesday while testifying under oath before the House Committee on Justice during its deliberation on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Madriaga testified that he was assigned by former President Duterte as a counterintelligence agent for the National Security Council. He clarified that his employment was direct and personal, reporting solely to the former president, rather than being under the Office of the President or other government agencies. This direct line of reporting suggests a highly personalized and potentially covert operation orchestrated by Duterte himself.
During his testimony, Madriaga stated, “As part of my duties, PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) specifically instructed me to monitor, operate, and sabotage former Senator Sonny Trillanes.” This statement directly implicates the former president in alleged covert operations aimed at undermining Trillanes, a vocal critic of Duterte’s administration. The nature of “sabotage” operations, as described by Madriaga, could encompass a range of activities designed to disrupt Trillanes’ political activities or public image.
Madriaga further elaborated that while Duterte was willing to order sabotage, he expressed apprehension about ordering Trillanes’ assassination. This hesitation, according to Madriaga, stemmed from Trillanes’ strong ties to the military, suggesting a concern that such an extreme action might provoke a significant backlash or retaliation from within the armed forces. The testimony, presented in the context of an impeachment hearing for Vice President Sara Duterte, introduces a new layer of allegations concerning the actions of the former president and his alleged use of intelligence apparatus for political purposes.
