Metro Manila, Philippines – House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima on Monday called on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice to investigate the sworn allegations of Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga, a former aide of the Duterte family who claims that Vice President Sara Duterte’s 2022 campaign was funded by money from Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and drug traffickers.
“Since these allegations are serious, then it is worth looking into,” De Lima said in an interview on ‘The Newsmaker’, referring to Madriaga’s affidavit notarized on Nov. 29.
De Lima said she obtained a copy of the affidavit and later interviewed Madriaga inside his jail cell at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility in Bicutan, Taguig City, on Dec. 8, in the presence of his lawyer, Raymund Palad.
“I received a copy of the affidavit and, of course, I saw that these are very sensitive and very heavy accusations, not only against Vice President Sara but also against the former President,” De Lima said.
“He mentioned personalities. He mentioned alleged deliveries of big sums of money — duffel bags being turned over from vehicles,” De Lima said.
Madriaga also claimed to have helped organize the ISIP Pilipinas network and to have worked under individuals connected to the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group. Those named in the allegations have denied any involvement.
De Lima said the accusations should be examined by appropriate investigative bodies.
“That’s the most that can be done at this point — whether it’s the DOJ, the NBI, or the Ombudsman — they should look into these accusations because these are serious,” she said.
“These involve alleged POGO funding and drug money allegedly financing the candidacy of the Vice President.”
The former justice secretary said she is withholding judgment on the truth of Madriaga’s claims, stressing that credibility must be assessed through evidence.
“I’m reserving my judgment because this is about credibility — the credibility of the person and the credibility of the story,” De Lima said.
“There may be issues with the credibility of the person, but what about the story?”
She added that information provided through Madriaga’s counsel appeared to establish his links to the Duterte family.
