MANILA — The controversy surrounding a painting allegedly gifted to Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio took a new turn after the lawyer of Ramil Madriaga asserted that multiple versions of the artwork exist, challenging claims of exclusive authorship and ownership.
Speaking on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos on Wednesday, Madriaga’s counsel Raymund Palad said the dispute stems from similarities between artworks rather than the existence of a single original piece.
Palad claimed there is a version of the painting that is “99 percent similar” to the one in question, with only minor differences such as the subject’s hairstyle.
He added that Madriaga had a scholar from Laguna who created a similar artwork and that they have photographs to support this.
“Hindi lang ‘yung taga-Davao ang may monopoly ng painting na ‘yun,” Palad said, asserting that the design is not exclusive to the Davao-based artist.
The issue emerged after visual artist Tanya Gaisano Lee publicly denied Madriaga’s claim that he gifted the painting to the Vice President in 2021. Lee maintained that the artwork was hers and rejected claims linking her to Madriaga.
“Anything stated otherwise is false. I am not a scholar, I am not from Laguna, I am from Davao,” Lee said in a social media post.
Palad clarified that Madriaga never identified the artist by name, but claimed that two versions of the painting were made — one allegedly taken by members of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, and another kept at Madriaga’s residence in Laguna.
The conflicting claims have further fueled questions over the origin, authenticity, and ownership of the artwork tied to the Vice President, as both sides stand firm on their assertions./PN
