MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has officially filed a perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga, a former associate who claimed to be her “bagman.” This marks the first criminal complaint the Vice President has filed since taking office in 2022.
Madriaga, who is currently detained on kidnapping charges, executed an affidavit last year claiming that he handled “duffel bags of cash” for Duterte.
- The Claim: He alleged that large sums from the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) were delivered to him while Duterte served as education secretary.
- The “Cell Visit”: Madriaga’s lawyers also claimed that Duterte personally visited him in his detention cell at Camp Bagong Diwa twice last year to persuade him not to speak out—a claim the Vice President has dismissed as a “fishing expedition.”
Duterte’s lawyer, Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., explained that while the Vice President was initially unbothered by the “worthless accusations,” she decided to act after lawmakers began using Madriaga’s affidavit as the primary basis for impeachment complaints against her.
- Impeachment Link: The third and fourth impeachment complaints against Duterte, which were recently found “sufficient in form and substance” by the House justice committee, rely heavily on Madriaga’s testimony regarding the alleged misuse of ₱612 million in confidential funds.
- Legal Stance: “She has to draw the line when these worthless accusations are used in impeachment proceedings to mislead the public and subvert the will of the people,” Panelo said.
The House Committee on Justice, chaired by Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, has issued a “Notice to Respondent” to Duterte.
- Deadline: The Vice President has a nonextendible period of 10 days to file her verified answer to the charges.
- Next Steps: Formal hearings are expected to begin in April 2026, after the Holy Week break, where the credibility of witnesses like Madriaga will be strictly scrutinized.