Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte paid a visit to detained former Rep. Arnie Teves and not her self-proclaimed bagman at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Dec. 23, Remulla said there were footage and records of Duterte at the detention facility visiting Teves.
“The warden was there, present during the meeting. Wala naman daw pinag-usapan masyado, kung hindi nagkamustahan lang. That’s the extent of the report to me,” the DILG chief said, adding that the visit happened on Oct. 19.
[Translation: The warden was there, present during the meeting. They said that nothing much was discussed – just checking in with each other. That’s the extent of the report given to me.]
Duterte earlier denied that he visited Ramil Madriaga, who claimed to have worked as her bagman, supposedly delivering millions of cash to various individuals.
In his affidavit submitted to the ombudsman, the former military agent also alleged that the funds on the campaign group he formed for Duterte’s vice presidential run in 2022 came from POGO operators and drug dealers.
Duterte earlier refuted the claims of Madriaga’s counsel that she visited his client in jail to offer a judge on his kidnapping case.
Teves, a designated terrorist, is facing multiple murder charges in connection to the killing of former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in March 2023. He was deported back to the Philippines in May after two years of evading arrest.
Meanwhile, Remulla said while he is not the proper authority to talk about Madriaga’s affidavit, he said Duterte can expect that the detainee’s assertions “will be examined and scrutinized to the greatest detail.”
NewsWatch Plus has reached out to the Office of the Vice President to seek details on the nature of Duterte’s supposed visit.
