VP Sara Duterte files perjury complaint vs. Ramil Madriaga

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday filed a perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga, her alleged former aide who claimed that her campaign was funded by drug dealers and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

“Dahil dito, ngayong araw ay naghain ako ng kasong perjury laban kay Ramil Madriaga upang tuluyang mapanagot siya sa kanyang mga kasinungalingan,” Duterte said in a statement.

(Today, I filed a perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga so that he will be held accountable for his lies.)

“Hindi maaaring hayaang gamitin ang mga imbentong kwento upang linlangin ang publiko,” she added.

(False stories should not he used to confuse the public.)

Duterte filed the complaint with the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office. 

According to Manny Vargas' report on Super Radyo dzBB, she was accompanied by her legal counsel, Paolo Panelo Jr. 

The Vice President said that Madriaga is an accused in a kidnapping case and is only pretending to be her campaign supporter.

To recall, Madriaga in December 2025 claimed that drug dealers and POGO operations funded the Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP) Pilipinas national campaign and other parallel groups. 

His allegations have been included in an impeachment complaint against Duterte.

Madriaga has also expressed a willingness to testify.

For her part, Duterte has denied having a personal relationship with Madriaga, alleging that he is working to undermine her possible plans to run for president.

In a separate statement, she said the claim that Madriaga is her “ex-aide” or "bagman" is “inaccurate and misleading.”

“He was never my aide, friend, employee, or a member of my staff in any capacity. The only person who knows him is Atty R. Quilala of ISIP Pilipinas,” Duterte said.

“I urge the media to exercise greater care in their reporting. Accuracy and fairness must always come first,” she added.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Madriaga’s camp said he stands by his sworn affidavit and is prepared to defend it.

“Mr. Madriaga executed his affidavit in good faith and based on information he believes to be true. We welcome the opportunity to address this complaint before the proper forum, where facts—not intimidation or public pressure—will determine the outcome,” his camp said.

His camp said perjury should never be used as a tool to “intimidate, retaliate, or silence individuals” who provide testimony in matters of public concern.

They added that the issue on confidential funds deserves transparent answers.

“Filing criminal complaints against individuals who have executed affidavits does not address those questions and should not divert attention from them,” it said.

Further, his camp questioned the timing of the complaint, saying that Madriaga executed and notarized his affidavit in November 2025.

“The question naturally arises: why only now? The public is entitled to consider whether this complaint is a genuine legal action or a reaction to sworn testimony that raised serious issues,” it said.

Meanwhile, according to his team, though he has a case, Madriaga is entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence.

“Attempts to attack his character in the public sphere do not substitute for answering the substantive questions that have been raised,” it said. —with Mariel Celine Serquiña/AOL/BM, GMA Integrated News