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Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, arrives at the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office to file complaints over the alleged disclosure of bank records on April 27, 2026.
The STAR / Miguel de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, has filed a P7.3-million damages suit against several complainants behind an impeachment case against his wife, as well as witness Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga, accusing them of spreading "perjurious lies" that harmed his reputation and law practice.
The complaint was filed before a Davao City Regional Trial Court on April 29 but was released to the media Wednesday, May 13. It named priest Joel Saballa and several other defendants who filed a verified impeachment complaint against Duterte on February 9.
It also named Madriaga, whom Carpio accused of reinforcing the impeachment complaint through affidavits and testimony before the House Committee on Justice. Madriaga previously confessed to being a bagman of Duterte.
The case adds a new legal front to Duterte’s impeachment fight, with Carpio arguing that the complaint was part of a coordinated effort to damage the vice president politically and prevent her from running for president in 2028.
Carpio accused the defendants of conspiring to "blacken, degrade, destroy and harm" Duterte’s political standing and indirectly damage his own reputation.
The complaint said the impeachment case accused Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, commission of other high crimes, inciting to sedition and insurrection and betrayal of public trust.
Madriaga testimony cited
Carpio’s complaint specifically cited Madriaga’s affidavits and April 14 testimony before the House justice panel, which included allegations that he delivered bags of money from confidential funds to several locations under Duterte’s instructions.
Carpio described Madriaga’s statements as "concocted, coached and invented lies."
He also argued that an impeachable officer may be held liable only for acts committed during their current term and in relation to their official functions. Carpio claimed the defendants acted in bad faith by including allegations that supposedly fell outside those limits.
Carpio is seeking at least P1 million in actual damages for alleged lost income and legal opportunities, P3 million in moral damages, P3 million in exemplary damages and P300,000 in attorney’s fees and litigation expenses.
De Lima: Plain harassment
Rep. Leila de Lima (ML party-list), House deputy minority leader and the House sponsor of the impeachment complaint, dismissed Carpio’s lawsuit as "plain harassment."
"The filing of case by Manases Carpio against the complainants of the Saballa et al impeachment complaint is plain harassment. I believe in their cause, and they are just exercising their constitutional duty as concerned citizens," De Lima said in a statement.
"Seryoso ang kanilang mga alegasyon, at naniniwala tayong dapat itong sagutin," she added. (Their allegations are serious, and we believe these should be answered.)
De Lima said the lawsuit was "another act of desperation" and accused Duterte’s camp of trying to divert attention from accountability.
"Kung hindi totoo ang mga paratang, humarap na lang sila sa impeachment trial," she said. (If the allegations are not true, they should just face the impeachment trial.)
Carpio’s complaint also cited De Lima’s Feb. 9 resolution endorsing the impeachment complaint, saying it gave the case "political traction" and contributed to the wider dissemination of the allegations.
The Articles of Impeachment was transmitted Wednesday night to the Senate, moments after a gunfire incident in compound where the upper chamber holds its offices. Senate President Alan Peter cayetano on Thursday said the chamber will proceed with the trial next week.
