Madriaga camp denies coordinated attack vs. Sara Duterte

The camp of Ramil Madriaga, an alleged former aide of Vice President Sara Duterte, said Thursday it is not behind supposed coordinated efforts to put her in a bad light.

Lawyer Raymond Palad distanced his client, Madriaga, from the graft and plunder complaints filed Friday by groups led by Fr. Flavie Villanueva, former Finance undersecretary Cielo Magno, Fr. Robert Reyes filed Friday against the Vice President over the alleged misuse of P612.5-million confidential funds. 

"We are not in touch with those who filed a plunder complaint. If you read his affidavit, these are not related to COA (Commission on Audit) findings. The plunder complainants are about COA findings, the P73-million notice of disallowance the COA issued [to the Vice President], the use of P125 million in 11 days," Palad said.

"All of these [allegations in the plunder complaint] are not in the affidavit of Madriaga. So to those saying we are part of coordinated efforts against the Vice President, that the Palace is behind this, they won't be able to do this together. Kahit i-check mo ang pangalan ko, hindi ako lawyer ng pulitiko, hindi rin ako nagra-rally for or against a candidate,” Palad added.
 
(All of these allegations in the plunder complaint are not in the affidavit of Madriaga. So to those saying we are part of coordinated efforts against the Vice President, that the Palace is behind this, they won't be able to do this together. Even if you check my name, I'm not a lawyer for any politician. I do not join rallies for or against any candidate.)

Madriaga has alleged that drug dealers and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators are funding the campaign Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP) Pilipinas.

"I was able to identify several of these individuals during my frequent pickups of cash-filled bags at locations such as The Gate in Pampanga, Vertis North Mall, and Seda Hotel in Quezon City, and the Grand Hyatt in BGC," Madriaga's affidavit read. 

As this developed, Palad said the legal team is aware of his client's request for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to perform forensic exams on three phones that were previously confiscated from the latter due to a pending criminal case against him.

The mobile phones are supposedly under the custody of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC)-Branch 21.

Land grab

Also on Thursday, Palad and Pyra Lucas of United Pilipino Against Crime and Corruption (UPACC) accused former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque of land grabbing the property of at least 75 families in Bataan.

They said former Palace official acquired these lands through the Roque family's Biancham Holdings Corporation and First Bataan Mariveles Holding Corporation.

Palad and Lucas said the farmers only became aware that their lands were already titled under these companies when they sought help from UPAC and checked it with the Registry of Deeds in Bataan.

"Ito po ang katibayan, mayroon po kaming mga dokumento, na bigla na lang po nakansela ang kanilang mga titulo at napunta sa kumpanya nina Harry Roque at Myla Roque. Walang pinirmahan iyong ibang farmers, at iyong abogado nila ay inambush," Lucas said. 

"We were able to obtain a plan from the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), an approved survey plan, that the lands were awarded to farmers way back in 1996, although there are farmers who were never able to get their copy of the land title and that only means the title was is still in the custody of DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform)," Lucas added.

Bring it on

In response, Roque said he is ready to face these alleged rehashed allegations.

"Let him file the appropriate case and I will meet him head on. The recycled land-grabbing accusation coming from the counsel of convicted kidnapper Ramil Madriaga should finally be laid to rest. If I had committed any such act, the proper case would be civil in nature and should have been filed in the proper forum," Roque said in a statement.

"To this day, I have not received any complaint, despite repeated claims that one is allegedly pending before the Office of the Ombudsman," Roque added.

Roque then said Madriaga made such allegations after the erstwhile Palace official turned down the latter's P5-million offer. The money was supposedly in exchange for dropping Madriaga's kidnapping case.

"This is a clear attempt to intimidate me and derail the case," Roque said. 

Roque also said Madriaga's allegations against the Vice President are likewise suspect. 

"His recent statements against Vice President Sara Duterte are not only incredible on their face, but also come from a polluted source—one who appears to have been promised favorable treatment in his remaining criminal case in exchange for participating in a smear campaign," Roque said.

"This will not work. The public knows better," Roque added.

GMA News Online has sought comments from Vice President, but she has yet to respond as of posting time. — VDV, GMA Integrated News