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The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte is standing firm—and unconvinced—following the latest developments in the impeachment proceedings.

In a statement, her legal counsel Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. said their assessment of impeachment witness Ramil Madriaga has now been confirmed, describing him as the “weakest link” in the case.

Panelo argued that Madriaga failed to address the most critical issue: the supposed strong evidence presented against him in the Vice President’s perjury complaint. Instead, he said the witness focused on matters that were either irrelevant or had already been debunked.

The Duterte camp also cast doubt on Madriaga’s key allegations, including claims of cash deliveries and instructions relayed through prepaid phones—assertions they say are difficult, if not impossible, to verify.

They also questioned the logic behind his claims. Why, they asked, would former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte entrust sensitive security and intelligence matters to someone outside the military or police chain of command?

Adding to their criticism, the camp cited information from the Philippine National Police linking Madriaga to a kidnapping-for-ransom group once described as among the most dangerous criminal syndicates in recent history—raising further doubts about his credibility.

For the Vice President’s camp, the bottom line is clear: instead of strengthening the impeachment case, Madriaga’s testimony and supplemental affidavit only made his claims appear more questionable.

As the proceedings continue, Duterte’s camp says it is ready to challenge and dismantle the allegations once again.