VICE President Sara Duterte has filed a perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga, who has publicly claimed to have served as her alleged “bagman.”
Duterte denied ever issuing any form of instruction to Madriaga, stressing that she had “never visited him in prison, nor spoken to him about anything at any time.”
The Vice President also dismissed the photographs submitted by Madriaga, describing them as unrelated images taken during public events where she happened to be present.
“Mr. Madriaga has presented no evidence, no documents, no corroboration only accusations. Bare allegations, no matter how loudly repeated, amount to nothing more than noise,” Duterte said.
In a notarized affidavit submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in December 2025, Madriaga alleged that he carried out large cash deliveries on Duterte’s behalf.
He further claimed that a supposed national campaign for Duterte was financed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and drug lords.
Duterte, however, argued that Madriaga, who is currently facing serious criminal charges and has a prior criminal record, appears to be acting out of desperation in an attempt to secure his release from detention.
“He is now spreading false statements before government authorities as part of a concerted effort to obstruct and undermine my possible candidacy for President,” she said.
Madriaga previously identified himself as an intelligence and security officer during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
He also claimed to have founded the group “Inday Sara Duterte is my President” (ISIP) in 2020, where he served as national convenor.