THE ASSASSINATION PLOTS allegedly hatched by the Dutertes and some retired generals to unseat President Marcos Jr. is nothing new to the Palace resident but the supposed term-sharing arrangement reached between Marcos and the Dutertes is a complete surprise to the President.
Palace press officer Claire Castro told newsmen that Marcos was “surprised” when informed about the development, saying that he had no knowledge about that term-sharing arrangement.
She said Marcos remains committed to completing his term until June 2028.
“He did not campaign for the presidency just to give the position to anyone. He promised to work for the country and he will finish his term for the Filipinos,” Castro added.
The plot to unseat Marcos by all means was revealed in Tuesday’s impeachment hearings of VP Sara Duterte by resource person Ramil Madriaga, who read his notarized and sworn statements.
‘Marcos was “surprised” when informed about the development, saying that he had no knowledge about that term-sharing arrangement … He did not campaign for the presidency just to give the position to anyone… promised to work for the country and he will finish his term for the Filipinos,” Castro added.’
DEATH THREATS
During the House justice committee hearing, Madriaga, who claimed to be a bagman of the Vice President, told lawmakers that former President Rodrigo Duterte and several retired military generals had discussed plans to unseat Marcos, including a supposed assassination plot.
But at the palace briefing, Castro downplayed the threats against the life of Marcos as nothing new, citing previous remarks made by the Vice President and most recently, by her brother Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
“The NBI is mandated to investigate these kinds of death threats, whether against the President or any ordinary citizen,” Castro said, adding that there should be no need for a separate directive from Malacañang for the agency to act.
Madriaga– who is still in detention for allegedly leading a kidnapping syndicate– was a former counter intelligence agent and a self-confessed former aide to the Dutertes. Information about him is largely based on his two affidavits, first submitted in December 2025 and the second during Tuesday’s impeachment hearings. There is also a court decision on his kidnapping case in 2003 and news of his arrest two decades later.
His November 2025 notarized statement said he worked two years at the now-defunct Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau while studying law at the San Sebastian College in Manila in the early 1990s. Madriiaga said he graduated from law school in 1995 but did not pass the bar exam in the same year.
In 1997, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court found Madriaga and two others guilty of kidnapping businessman Vicente Uy for a P10-million ransom. The lower court sentenced them to death, but the Supreme Court acquitted them in 2003. The High Court decision cited the lack of sufficient evidence to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt and, in a twist, even recognized Madriaga for playing a role in the rescue.
DUTERTE CONNECTION
From 2001 until his introduction to the Dutertesbetween late 2015 and 2016, Madriaga claimed to have worked at the National Security Council.
Despite the VP’s persistent claim of not knowing Madriaga, he presented annexes showing pictures of his active involvement in the campaign for the 2022 elections and receiving mobilization and transport funds from both the former president and VP Sara.
He also claimed to be delivering funds to some political allies of VP Sara from both her personal and confidential funds, of over P120 million, which he said he dispensed upon her order not in 11 days but within 24 hours.
From 2018 to 2021, under Duterte’s administration, Madriaga said he worked as a civil counter-intelligence agent for the government. He provided intelligence information for the government’s anti-drug campaign, “Oplan Double Barrel,” and taught tactical driving and strategic transport courses for the Presidential Security Group.
His work, he said, also included a plan to “sabotage” former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a vocal critic of the older Duterte’s administration.
From being an intelligence agent, Madriaga said he transitioned to become part of the younger Duterte’s political team for her campaign in the 2022 elections. He said he was previously introduced to Duterte’s daughter, then-Davao City mayor, in 2018.
BANK WAIVER
Madriaga admitted to having served as a bank “dummy” for the older Duterte, through which millions of pesos were coursed, including funds for his daughter’s national aspirations.
Towards the end of his testimony, Madriaga signed and submitted to the House a waiver to the bank secrecy law, allowing the justice committee to open his numerous dummy bank accounts– which many believe could ascertain the financial largesse he had been getting from the elder and lady Duterte.
In July 2023, Madriaga was arrested by the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group for allegedly leading a kidnap-for-ransom syndicate, which is named after him. The police called the group “one of the most dangerous criminal syndicates” and said that Madriaga was its 5th most wanted person in the country.
Madriaga said he believed that former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (now fleeing from the law) filed the kidnapping case against him because he stopped Roque from allegedly grabbing land from farmers in Bataan, including the 17 farmers who filed a complaint against Roque. The latter denied these claims.
Since his arrest, Madriaga has been detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
Madriaga claimed that sometime in October 2025, he saw the Vice President at the detention facility and spoke with her over the phone. He said she was “apologetic” to him for failing to help him in his ongoing case.
BETRAYED!
Madriaga said he felt “betrayed” that the Vice President did not stop Roque, a known Duterte ally and supporter, thus prompting the two’s fallout.
While detained, Madriaga made headlines in December 2025 when his affidavit—notarized in November 2025—was submitted, through a lawyer, to the Office of the Ombudsman. In his affidavit, he declared his connections to the Dutertes.
Since executing an affidavit, Madriaga has expressed fears for his safety, claiming that on March 3, he was attempted being forcibly dragged into a confined bodega. He believed that it was a threat from former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves, who allegedly met with the Vice President at Camp Bagong Diwa. Teves is also detained there for allegedly masterminding the murder of former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
VP Duterte has denied Madriaga’s claims, and on March 4, she filed a perjury complaint against him before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office.
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