Trillanes says he met with Madriaga before filing plunder, graft raps vs VP Sara

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Thursday he met and talked with Ramil Madriaga before filing plunder, malversation, and graft complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte with the Office of the Ombudsman. 

Trillanes said that 23 counts of alleged anomalies attributed to the Vice President were cited in the complaint, including the allegations of Madriaga, who has claimed to be Duterte’s former aide. 

“Nakausap ko siya, nagpaalam ako do’n sa abogado niya at sa kanya mismo. So bumista po tayo,” the former lawmaker said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. 

(I talked to him, I asked for his and his lawyer’s permission. So I visited him.) 

“Nakausap ko last week. Chineck-out ko, bago ko isinama itong allegation niya. So may mga agam-agam pa rin ako, but generally ‘yung ibang na-mention niya, nag-check out naman when I got out. So hindi lang ito ‘yung nagiimbento lang.”

(I talked to him last week. I checked out his claims, before including them in the complaints. Actually, I still have doubts, but generally the other things he mentioned checked out when I got out. I believe he’s not just merely inventing things.) 

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

He said he was the Vice President’s former aide and transported large amounts of money nationwide between July 2022 and August 2023. He also alleged that Duterte’s husband, Atty. Mans Carpio, instructed him to pick up magnetic lifters with shabu.

Duterte, however, refuted that she has a personal relationship with Madriaga, stressing that he has offered no proof nor documents to support his “bare allegations.” 

The Vice President further alleged that Madriaga appears to be “acting out of desperation” to secure his release from detention, and is working to undermine her possible plans to run for president. 

In December last year, Madriaga asked Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to probe his allegations as stated in his sworn affidavit.

‘Gaps’

For Trillanes, there are still “gaps” in Madriaga’s allegations. 

“Eh kasi, he admits na talagang gumagawa naman siya ng krimen, basically. May mga ano talaga, mga gaps pa rin. But ‘yung portion ng allegation niya na siya ‘yung naghahatid nung pera, binibigyan siya ng pera at hinahatid niya, eh ‘yan ‘yung allegation niya eh at nasa position siya to commit those acts na sinasabi niya,” he explained. 

(He admits that he is committing a crime, basically. There are still some gaps. But the part of his allegation where he said he was given money and he delivered it, he’s in a position to commit those acts that he said.) 

The complaint filed by Trillanes and civil society group The Silent Majority on Wednesday covers the Vice President's actions from when she was still a vice mayor then mayor of her hometown Davao City and later as vice president and education secretary.

GMA News Online reached out to the Office of the Vice President for a comment and will update this story once it responds. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News