Vice President Sara Duterte personally attended proceedings at the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday to lodge a second perjury charge against her self-professed former associate, Ramil Madriaga.
The criminal action, filed under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code, addresses assertions detailed in a supplemental affidavit executed by Madriaga that accused the Vice President of involvement in cash drop-offs and illicit campaign financing.
Duterte was accompanied at the venue by her legal representative, Atty. Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., son of former Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.
Her defense team submitted roughly 1,000 pages of supporting documentation, featuring her sworn testimony alongside statements from 12 corroborating witnesses, government certifications, official records, digital messages, and photographs.
Addressing the legal filing, Atty. Panelo emphasized that the case aims to address Madriaga’s deliberate misrepresentations under oath and enforce legal accountability.
“This exhaustive effort was technically unnecessary given the absurd and unverifiable nature of Madriaga’s claims, and the fact that the details and few ‘evidence’ he supplied immediately and publicly collapsed under the slightest scrutiny,” Panelo said.
“However, it had to be done to ensure that Madriaga is held accountable under the law, and to unmask the malicious, baseless, and desperate character of the impeachment effort against the Vice President and of those behind it,” he added.
In a notarized document previously submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman, Madriaga claimed he personally transported massive cash amounts under direct orders from Duterte.
He further alleged that Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and narcotics syndicates financed her nationwide electoral campaign.
Madriaga had identified himself as an intelligence and security officer during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, adding that he established the group “Inday Sara Duterte is my President” (ISIP) and served as its national convener in 2020.
The Vice President’s legal team has repeatedly dismissed Madriaga’s accusations as baseless, maintaining that public records and verifiable facts have refuted his claims.