Sara faces 2nd plunder complaint

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

January 22, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A second plunder complaint has been filed against Vice President Sara Duterte over her alleged misuse of over P600 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) and for supposed anomalies during her term as Davao City mayor, including her alleged receipt of money from drug dealers.

In their 41-page complaint filed yesterday, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and members of civil society The Silent Majority (TSM) urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate Duterte for alleged violations of Republic Act 7080 or the Anti-Plunder Law, RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, RA 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act as well as for direct and indirect bribery under the Revised Penal Code.

The complainants also urged the ombudsman to recommend to the House of Representatives the filing of an impeachment case against Duterte on the grounds of graft and corruption, plunder and bribery, culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.

In an interview after filing the complaint, Trillanes said their allegations against Duterte go beyond the issue of confidential funds but also in connection with the latter’s alleged illegal dealings and amassing of billions when she was still the mayor of Davao City.

“Through this complaint, we are calling on Ombudsman Boying Remulla to give attention to this case. This involves billions of pesos of stolen public funds,” Trillanes said.

He said their group also filed the complaint to urge the ombudsman to resume investigation on the alleged questionable bank transactions of Duterte and her family supposedly previously flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“This can be a way to finally look into her bank accounts, because there is a memorandum of agreement between the ombudsman and AMLC wherein the ombudsman can get from AMLC the bank records for flagged transactions,” Trillanes said.

The complainants also cited the affidavit of former military agent Ramil Madriaga, the alleged bagman of the Vice President.

This marked the second plunder complaint against Duterte at the ombudsman. The first complaint was filed last December by several civil society organizations, mainly focusing on her alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Cyberlibel

Meanwhile, Duterte’s former security chief, retired Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, yesterday filed a cyberlibel complaint against Madriaga before the Department of Justice (DOJ) Region 11 in Davao City.

Lachica also filed charges against Madriaga’s lawyer, Raymond Palad.

“I took this step deliberately and with restraint. As a soldier and a public servant, I firmly believe that serious accusations must be addressed through lawful institutions, not through trial by publicity, online speculation or the repeated circulation of unverified claims,” Lachica said in a statement.

“The allegations circulated against me online are false, malicious and entirely without factual basis. I categorically deny any involvement in the acts imputed to me. I have never met, worked with or coordinated with Mr. Madriaga, who was never part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, nor of any unit under my command,” he added.

Madriaga previously said he was tasked to help form the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), which handled security and intelligence operations for the Vice President.

Madriaga said he recommended Col. Dennis Nolasco to head the Presidential Security Group. Nolasco later allegedly tapped Lachica to lead the VPSPG. Madriaga said from July 2022 to April 2023, he worked directly under Nolasco and Lachica. –Bella Cariaso