Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte rejected accusations that she needed someone to get through law school, but stopped short of addressing claims that millions in confidential funds were disposed of in less than one day.
Duterte issued the statement on Wednesday, April 15 in response to her self-confessed bagman, Ramil Madriaga, who testified before the House justice committee on Tuesday, April 14.
Madriaga said Duterte needed help to enter San Sebastian College law school, as she was supposedly struggling in her academics and being rude to other students.
The vice president said among all the allegations presented, she takes issue with the claim, noting that she finished her studies on her own terms.
“I placed a higher premium on living a well-rounded life rather than pursuing academic excellence. I never asked any professor for special accommodation for my grades because the bare minimum was easy enough to meet. I was never the subject of any complaint for rudeness or violence against other students at SSC-R College of Law,” she said.
Duterte added that she passed the Bar in 2005 on her first attempt with a general weighted average of 80, five points above the minimum.
“Madriaga and his cohorts in the House of Representatives do not come close to my capacity to achieve results with very little effort because they cannot even weave a believable lie, much less follow the rule of law,” she said.
The vice president’s statement did not address key allegations, including the claim that the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) P125 million confidential funds were disposed of in less than 24 hours in December 2022, contrary to 11 days as previously raised in the congressional hearing.
She did not issue a response as well on the Commission on Audit’s order to her office to return millions of disallowed funds.
The agency told lawmakers that it rejected Duterte’s appeal on the notice of disallowance for the OVP confidential funds amounting to P73.2 million in December 2022. The COA also issued notice of disallowances against OVP funds for three quarters in 2023, amounting to P375 million.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, justice panel member, said Duterte should face the House proceedings rather than issuing press statements.
The vice president skipped the House hearings twice, and instead challenged the legality of the proceedings to the Supreme Court over supposed constitutional flaws.
