MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio filed a perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga, a man who earlier claimed he served as her bagman in alleged cash transactions, strongly denying the accusations and asserting that the claims were fabricated and unsupported by evidence.
Duterte-Carpio lodged the complaint on Wednesday as she rejected Madriaga’s allegations, reiterating that she had no dealings with him and had never given him instructions nor communicated with him in any capacity.
The Vice President also dismissed the photographs submitted by Madriaga as supposed proof, explaining that the images were taken during public events where she was present and had no connection to the accusations.
“Mr. Madriaga has offered no proof — no documents, no corroboration — only accusations. Bare allegations, no matter how loudly repeated, amount to nothing more than noise,” Duterte-Carpio said.
Madriaga earlier submitted a notarized affidavit that was referred to the Office of the Ombudsman in December 2025, claiming that he carried out large cash deliveries on Duterte-Carpio’s behalf.
He also alleged that Duterte-Carpio’s supposed national campaign was financed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and drug lords.
Duterte-Carpio questioned Madriaga’s credibility, noting that he is currently facing criminal charges and has a previous criminal record.
But Duterte-Carpio said Madriaga, who is “currently facing serious criminal charges and has a prior criminal record, appears to be acting out of desperation to secure his release from detention.”
The Vice President also claimed that the accusations are part of an attempt to damage her political prospects.
“He is now disseminating false statements to government authorities as part of a concerted effort to obstruct and undermine my possible candidacy for President,” she said.
Madriaga earlier identified himself as an intelligence and security officer during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. He also said he founded the group Inday Sara Duterte is my President (ISIP), where he served as national convenor in 2020.
The perjury complaint marks Duterte-Carpio’s latest legal move against individuals making allegations linking her to illegal financial activities./PN
