FACT CHECK: De Lima not ‘caught’ giving Madriaga scripted statements vs VP Sara

Claim: House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Representative Leila de Lima visited Ramil Madriaga, Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged former bagman, in jail and gave him a “script” for his statements during Duterte’s impeachment hearing.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim has 88,000 views, 3,500 likes, and 1,016 comments as of writing. It was posted by “PINAS NEWS INSIDER,” a YouTube channel claiming to be a news outlet, with 1.2 million subscribers. 

The video’s thumbnail shows photos of De Lima, Madriaga, and House justice committee chair Gerville Luistro with the text “De Lima umamin na? Kinausap pala si Madriaga sa kulungan.”

(De Lima has confessed? She spoke to Madriaga in prison.)

The video’s narrator says De Lima confessed to visiting Madriaga in prison and giving him a script for his statements, in which he claimed involvement in activities linked to Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds.

A similar video was posted by the account “Pinas News Insight.” The video’s title reads, “Big news! Na-hulicam sa CCTV script ni De Lima at Madriaga binasag? Luistro Kamara napahiya lang!?”

(Big news! Script of De Lima and Madriaga caught on CCTV? Luistro, House was embarrassed!?)

Many online commenters appeared to believe the claim, with some raising suspicions about De Lima’s visit to a restricted area and hinting at misconduct. 

The facts: While De Lima did meet Madriaga, she has categorically stated that she did not add, revise, or influence any part of Madriaga’s affidavit. The misleading video did not mention this; instead, it claimed that the lawmaker allegedly provided Madriaga with a script.

During the House justice committee’s hearing on April 14, De Lima disclosed that she received a handwritten letter and a copy of Madriaga’s affidavit. 

Madriaga himself confirmed that he furnished De Lima with his affidavit, not the other way around. De Lima also categorically denied drafting, dictating, or modifying any part of the document, stating, “Wala akong dinagdag sa affidavit na ito. Wala akong binago sa affidavit na ito. Wala akong dinikta kay Mr. Madriaga tungkol sa affidavit na ito.” 

(I did not add anything to this affidavit. I did not change anything in this affidavit. I did not dictate anything to Mr. Madriaga regarding this affidavit.)

Madriaga initiated contact through a handwritten letter to De Lima dated November 17, 2025, sent via his lawyer, seeking her help over his supposed unjust detention. He executed his sworn affidavit on November 29, 2025, before any in-person meeting with De Lima.

Their only meeting took place on December 8, 2025, at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility, in the presence of Madriaga’s counsel. De Lima explained that the purpose of her visit was to clarify the affidavit’s contents and assess Madriaga’s credibility by asking probing and critical questions, not to influence or script his statements.

Impeachment hearing: On April 29, the House justice committee found probable cause to impeach Duterte after four non-consecutive days of hearings, with 53 lawmakers unanimously approving the motion on two separate complaints. The allegations include misuse of confidential funds, bribery of Department of Education officials, and unexplained wealth, supported by witness testimony and an Anti-Money Laundering Council report flagging billions in transactions inconsistent with her declared assets.

Throughout the proceedings, Duterte and her legal team did not attend any of the hearings, opting instead to issue general denials through public statements and press briefings outside Congress.

On May 4, the committee approved its report containing the resolution that sets forth the articles of impeachment, with 55 lawmakers voting in favor and none opposing. (WATCH: House panel approves report finalizing Sara Duterte impeachment case)

With the report approved, the committee is set to transmit it to the House plenary for deliberation. Lawmakers are expected to be given time to review the draft articles, with a plenary vote possibly scheduled as early as May 11. A one-third vote of all House members is required to formally impeach Duterte and elevate the case to the Senate, where a trial will determine her guilt. – Marjuice Destinado/Rappler.com

Marjuice Destinado is a senior political science student at Cebu Normal University (CNU) and an alumna of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2025.

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