MANILA — The camps of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio and former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco have dismissed allegations of cash deliveries involving them, questioning the credibility of a purported former driver who reportedly submitted an affidavit and supporting evidence to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The man, identified only as alias “Chris,” claimed to have worked as Velasco’s driver and reportedly approached the NBI with information about the alleged transactions.
Duterte-Carpio’s spokesperson, lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., rejected the accusations as politically motivated and vowed that the Vice President would refute them with evidence.
“As before, VP Sara will happily dismantle each allegation with evidence at the proper time,” Panelo said.
He also urged journalists to scrutinize the allegations rather than merely repeat them, accusing unnamed groups of using media coverage to discredit Duterte-Carpio.
Panelo claimed the “Fourth Estate is being weaponized for the relentless, but ultimately ineffective, black propaganda against the Vice President.”
Velasco’s spokesperson, lawyer Rowell Ilagan, likewise rejected the allegations, saying the emergence of another purported witness raised questions about attempts to malign the former speaker.
“This is now the second time a purported witness has surfaced to make similar unfounded allegations against our client, intended to cast aspersions on his character and integrity rather than to establish the truth through evidence,” Ilagan said.
Ilagan questioned alleged inconsistencies in Chris’ statements, arguing that the purported witness had failed to establish personal knowledge or a factual basis for his accusations.
He urged the media to exercise caution in reporting unverified allegations that could unfairly damage reputations.
“Former House Speaker Velasco has served the country with integrity and sincerity. Having returned to private life, he should not be subjected to unfounded accusations or made a collateral target of political controversies. We shall continue to evaluate these allegations and the circumstances surrounding their dissemination to determine the appropriate legal remedies,” Ilagan said.
The allegations remain unverified, and the reported submission of an affidavit and supporting materials to the NBI does not establish wrongdoing by Duterte-Carpio or Velasco./PN
