MANILA — Rep. Chel Diokno has asked the House Committee on Justice to take custody of detained witness Ramil Madriaga to ensure his safety and availability for testimony in the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a letter sent Thursday to the committee chair, Rep. Gerville Luistro, Diokno requested that Madriaga’s custody be transferred from Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig, where he is currently detained.

“May I also move that the custody of Mr. Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga, who appears to be a material witness in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, be transferred to the Committee on Justice, to ensure his safety and availability to testify before the Committee at the proper time,” Diokno said.

Madriaga is alleged to have acted as a bagman and organizer for Duterte, according to an affidavit he submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in November 2025. He claimed he delivered large sums of money to various individuals under Duterte’s instructions—a claim the vice president has repeatedly denied. He is currently detained on kidnap-for-ransom charges.

Diokno also requested the issuance of “subpoenae duces tecum” to compel the production of government records he said are crucial for the committee to determine whether sufficient grounds for impeachment exist. A subpoena duces tecum requires a person to appear and bring specific items relevant to a case.

Among the documents sought, Diokno asked the Office of the Ombudsman for certified copies of Duterte’s financial disclosures covering her public career from 2007 to 2025. He also requested the Anti-Money Laundering Council to issue a sworn certification of any suspicious transactions involving Duterte, her husband, or her father.

Additionally, Diokno sought investigative materials from the National Bureau of Investigation regarding alleged threats made by Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

According to Diokno, the Committee on Justice is expected to deliberate on these motions next week. He added that approving them would mark the start of the formal evidentiary phase of the impeachment proceedings, allowing the panel to secure testimony and official records.