MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte has strongly denied allegations made by Ramil Madriaga, who claimed to be her alleged bagman, saying his accusations amount to nothing more than “noise.”
In a statement issued Monday, Duterte said she has no personal relationship with Madriaga and stressed that she never gave him any instructions nor communicated with him at any point.
She also denied ever visiting him in prison.
The Vice President further rejected the photographs submitted by Madriaga, saying these were taken during public events and did not prove any personal or professional connection.
According to Duterte, the images merely show Madriaga’s presence during election-related activities and do not support his claims.
She emphasized that Madriaga failed to present any concrete evidence, noting the absence of documents or corroborating testimony.
“Baseless accusations, no matter how often repeated, remain meaningless,” Duterte said, adding that Madriaga’s statements lack credibility.
Madriaga earlier filed a notarized affidavit before the Office of the Ombudsman, alleging that he carried out large cash deliveries on Duterte’s behalf and claimed that her national campaign was funded by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and drug syndicates.
Duterte countered that Madriaga is facing serious criminal charges and has a prior criminal record, suggesting that his actions may be driven by desperation to secure his release from detention.
She also accused him of spreading false information to authorities in an attempt to derail her potential presidential bid.
Madriaga has claimed he served as an intelligence and security officer during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte and said he founded the group Inday Sara Duterte Is My President (ISIP), where he acted as national convenor in 2020.
He further alleged that he worked for Duterte during her term as Davao City mayor and later helped form the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group following her election.
Madriaga’s lawyer, Raymund Palad, earlier said they are seeking a forensic examination of his client’s mobile phones, which allegedly contain call logs and text messages that could support the affidavit’s claims.
Madriaga is currently detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Annex 2 over kidnapping charges, which he has described as a setup allegedly involving former Palace spokesperson Harry Roque and a police general.