RAMIL L. Madriaga’s waiver of his rights under bank secrecy laws may turn him into one of the most important witnesses if the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte reaches the Senate, with a House leader saying his willingness to open up his own accounts gives the proceedings a witness who is ready to allow real evidence to test his story.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union stressed Saturday that Madriaga’s move changes the weight of his role in the case because it shifts him from being a witness with allegations to a witness inviting scrutiny of his own financial trail.
“Napaka-credible ng witness na walang itinatago. The fact na kaya at willing si Mr. Madriaga na mag-tell all at mag-open all, ibig sabihin ay kaya niyang patunayan ang lahat ng kanyang sinasabi. Kusa na siyang nagpapasilip ng kanyang mga bank accounts, and this is a really good test of his credibility,” Ortega, one of the endorsers of the 4th impeachment complaint, said in a statement.
Ortega pointed out that if the case crosses from the House to a full-blown impeachment trial in the Senate, Madriaga’s waiver could make him a central figure or a “star witness” because it lowers one of the usual barriers in following the money.
“At kapag ang impeachment laban kay VP Duterte ay umabot sa Senado dahil sa mga isiniwalat ni Mr. Madriaga, siguradong star witness na siya. Madami siyang sinabi sa kanyang affidavit at supplemental affidavit na kapag napatunayang tama o credible ng kanyang bank records, instant star witness na talaga,” Ortega noted.
The House leader said the significance of the waiver is it may allow investigators and prosecutors to match against the claims he has made under oath.
Madriaga has previously alleged that he served as a dummy account holder during the Duterte administration, claiming that accounts were opened in his name and used in transactions he says were not truly under his control.
“Kung ang sinasabi niya ay ginamit ang pangalan niya bilang dummy, natural lang na ang susunod na tanong ay: nasaan ang patunay nito? Doon nagiging mahalaga ang waiver, dahil puwede nang sundan hindi lang ang tao kundi pati ang daloy ng pera,” Ortega noted.
Ortega said the waiver matters even more because bank secrecy has long been one of the hardest walls to breach when allegations involve hidden transactions, proxies and indirect movement of funds.
Madriaga told the House Committee on Justice on April 14 that during ex-President Duterte’s presidency, he allegedly served as a financial “dummy” in the movement of large sums of money through bank accounts opened under his name by people close to the former President.
In his supplemental affidavit, Madriaga claimed he never personally opened those accounts or appeared before the banks, and said the accounts were supposedly used for transfers tied to “intelligence operations” and laundering.
He named the bank accounts as:
- China Bank Legazpi Village Makati City
- China Bank Main, Makati City
- China Bank near the fire station in Ayala Makati City
- PNB Makati Metropolitan Avenue Branch, Makati City
- an unknown bank in Pasig City
- an unknown bank in a mall in Lubao, Pampanga
He also alleged that he was made to sign checkbooks with blank amounts and payees, and that millions of pesos later passed through those accounts.
He further alleged that he was directly employed by Duterte rather than by any formal government office, receiving P100,000 to P150,000 in cash every month from a police officer from Davao.
Madriaga also claimed that Duterte instructed him on three occasions to pick up P100 million from a bank inside a mall in Lubao, Pampanga for delivery to Malacañang, and that two Landbank manager’s checks were later issued in his name for delivery to a safehouse in Eastwood, Quezon City.
“So malalaman natin kung nagsasabi si Madriaga ng totoo. Makikita natin ang bank records. Makikita natin ang paper trail. Makikita natin kung sino at saan idineposito. We will see a bigger picture than just mere allegations,” Ortega said.
