Sara Duterte's lawyer: Madriaga can’t be allowed to mislead public
Vice President Sara Duterte's lawyer stated that she sued Ramil Madriaga for perjury not because his 'bagman' allegations bothered her, but because lawmakers planned to use his affidavit for impeachment.
Vice President Sara Duterte filed a perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga on March 4, 2026, at the Taguig City Prosecutor's Office. Madriaga, a detained former military agent held at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City since July 2023 on kidnapping-for-ransom charges, had submitted a notarized affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman in November 2025 alleging he served as Duterte's financial courier. In his affidavit, Madriaga claimed Duterte directed him to transfer substantial amounts of confidential funds to her security aide and alleged her 2022 campaign was financed by drug money and funds from Philippine offshore gaming operators.
Duterte was represented by lawyer Paolo Panelo, the son of former chief presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo. According to Panelo, the Vice President took legal action because Madriaga's 'baseless accusations' were being used in impeachment efforts against her. All four impeachment petitions against Duterte relied on Madriaga's affidavit, alleging she misappropriated confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. The House justice committee was set to vote on whether two remaining impeachment complaints possessed sufficient substance.
Duterte's 340-page complaint includes annexes from her personnel and campaign organizers, asserting she has no personal or professional connection to Madriaga and has no memory of knowing him prior to his affidavit's release. She has consistently denied any association with Madriaga, stating she never issued him directives and accusing him of spreading falsehoods to jeopardize her potential presidential aspirations. Duterte compared Madriaga to witnesses in ICC proceedings against her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, claiming their testimonies were 'purchased or fabricated.'
Madriaga's attorney, Raymund Palad, indicated his client is prepared to testify before the Office of the Ombudsman when summoned and to provide documentation supporting his claims. The legal action comes amid ongoing political tensions, with Duterte's camp framing the perjury complaint as necessary to prevent Madriaga from misleading the public and to counter what they describe as politically motivated impeachment efforts based on unsubstantiated allegations.
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