VP Sara Duterte presses perjury complaint vs Madriaga, files reply-affidavit in Taguig

Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday filed her reply-affidavit in the perjury complaint she lodged against Ramil Madriaga, with her legal team insisting they had submitted enough evidence to prove that the jailed witness lied under oath when he linked her to alleged illegal campaign funds and cash deliveries.

Duterte’s reply-affidavit, filed through legal counsel Atty. Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. with the Office of the City Prosecutor in Taguig, was submitted in response to the counter-affidavit filed by Madriaga on April 14.

Speaking to reporters after the filing, Panelo said Madriaga’s counter-affidavit failed to rebut the evidence laid out in Duterte’s original complaint and instead, further weakened his own claims.

“So para sa amin, iyong counter-affidavit kasi ni Madriaga, hindi niya nasagot iyong mga ebidensyang nilatag namin doon sa complaint-affidavit ni VP Sara na nagpapatunay na hindi totoo iyong mga sinasabi niya,” Panelo said.

(So for us, Madriaga’s counter-affidavit failed to answer the evidence we laid out in Vice President Sara’s complaint-affidavit proving that what he said was not true.)

Panelo said the camp had already established in its 340-page complaint-affidavit that Madriaga’s claims were “impossible,” citing Vice President Duterte’s sworn testimony, seven corroborating witnesses, and documentary records.

He said these were meant to disprove Madriaga’s claims that he had worked for Duterte since 2018, helped form pro-Duterte groups such as ISIP Pilipinas and “VP-SVG” on her instructions, and handled alleged confidential cash funds for her.

Madriaga, who has described himself as Duterte’s former aide and “bagman,” earlier alleged that drug dealers and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) funded the “Inday Sara Duterte Is My President” or ISIP campaign and related political groups — claims that were later cited in impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

Duterte denied those allegations and on March 4 filed a perjury complaint before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office, saying Madriaga’s allegations were fabricated and intended to mislead the public.

On Monday, Panelo said Madriaga’s own submissions had instead bolstered the Vice President’s case.

He cited as an example a screenshot Madriaga submitted of a virtual political meeting attended by Duterte, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, which Madriaga had presented as proof that he was part of Duterte’s inner circle.

Panelo said their review showed the online meeting had around 92 participants and included multiple support groups, undermining Madriaga’s claim that the image proved a close working relationship with the Vice President.

“Pati iyong ganoong klaseng meeting na standard noong panahon na iyan, papalabasin niya na iyon iyong pruweba niya na insider siya. Pero ang totoo, napakarami pong pumunta at hindi siya ang nag-organize ng meeting na iyan,” Panelo said.

(He is trying to pass off that kind of routine meeting during that period as proof that he was an insider. But the truth is, many people attended and he did not organize that meeting.)

He also questioned other claims made by Madriaga, including alleged cash deliveries and bank transactions, saying several had already been contradicted by public records, business owners, and government certifications.

Panelo said the Vice President’s camp had secured certifications showing Madriaga was never employed by the Office of the Vice President, the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, the Presidential Security Group, the Department of Education, or other government offices.

“Ginawa nating airtight” ang reklamo, Panelo said.

(We made the complaint airtight.)

"Next setting would be on May 18 para makapag-file si Ginoong Madriaga ng rejoineder affidavit," Panelo added.

Another perjury complaint

Panelo also noted that Duterte’s legal team is considering recommending the filing of another perjury complaint against Madriaga.

“Yun ang rekomendasyon namin kay VP,” Panelo said, adding that the timing of any new complaint would depend on coordination with the Vice President's impeachment defense team.

(That is our recommendation to the Vice President.)

“Whether matutuloy immediately or later on, nakadepende iyan kasi kailangan nating isangguni iyan sa impeachment defense team,” he said.

(Whether it will proceed immediately or later on will depend, because we need to coordinate that with the impeachment defense team.)

Panelo said the decision was not just legal but strategic, given the possible implications for the Vice President’s anticipated impeachment trial.

“It’s more of a strategy thing. Do you want to show your cards before the impeachment trial? It’s more that than anything else,” he said.

(It’s more of a strategy issue. The question is whether you want to reveal your full arguments before the impeachment trial. More than anything, that is the consideration.) — RSJ, GMA News