Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte denied having any personal relationship with Ramil Madriaga, a detained former military agent who claimed to be her bagman, describing his allegations as an attempt to “undermine” her possible presidential bid.
In a statement on Monday, Dec. 22, Duterte said she neither gave instructions to Madriaga nor visited him in prison, contrary to the latter’s affidavit and the pronouncements of his counsel.
The vice president described the allegations as “desperation to secure his release from detention.”
“He is now disseminating false statements to government authorities as part of a concerted effort to obstruct and undermine my possible candidacy for President,” said Duterte, who leads in 2028 presidential pre-elections surveys despite not confirming her plans.
Madriaga earlier claimed in his affidavit submitted to the ombudsman that Duterte instructed him through phone calls to pick up vehicles containing cash and deliver them to a house in Novaliches, Quezon City, in January 2022 — before the campaign for the national elections.
He also alleged that he delivered duffle bags filled with cash to various individuals from 2022 to 2023, upon the instruction of Duterte’s security aides.
Last week, the detainee’s lawyer alleged that the vice president visited Madriaga at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Taguig City twice, offering to talk to a judge for his kidnapping case.
“Mr. Madriaga has offered no proof, no documents, no corroboration — only accusations. Bare allegations, no matter how loudly repeated, amount to nothing more than noise,” Duterte said.
The vice president said the photographs submitted by Madriaga are unrelated images taken during public events, saying it merely shows “that he was present as part of an election campaign group.”
Madriaga previously alleged that campaign-related activities under a group he identified as “ISIP (Inday Sara Duterte is my President) Pilipinas” were funded by money from POGO operators and drug dealers.
He said Duterte supposedly instructed him to form the group in 2020, when the vice president was still Davao City mayor.
