3 weeks ago
15
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
Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
March 4, 2026 | 1:13pm
Vice President Sara Duterte files a perjury case against Ramil Madriaga at the Taguig City Prosecutor's Office, March 4, 2026.
Office of the Vice President
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has filed a perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga, the detained former military agent whose sworn affidavit has become one of the central pieces of evidence in the impeachment proceedings against her at the House of Representatives.
Duterte personally appeared before the Taguig City Prosecutor's Office to file the case, her office said in a statement on Wednesday, March 4.
She accused Madriaga of lying under oath and said his fabricated claims should not be used to deceive the public. She has tasked lawyer Paolo Panelo, son of former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, to handle media questions regarding the complaint.
The filing comes as the House justice committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether the two remaining impeachment complaints against Duterte are sufficient in substance.
During the previous day's proceedings, Rep. Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd District) cited Madriaga's affidavit to argue it establishes Duterte's liability over the alleged mishandling of P125 million in confidential funds.
In her statement, Duterte drew a parallel between Madriaga and witnesses in the International Criminal Court case against her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. She singled out retired police officer Arturo Lascañas and self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato, whose testimonies she claims are "bought or fabricated" accounts arranged by former senator Antonio Trillanes. She claimed the House was repeating the same so-called playbook.
Who is Madriaga? Madriaga has been detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City since July 2023 on a kidnapping-for-ransom charge.
In a notarized affidavit dated Nov. 29, 2025 and submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman that December, Madriaga claimed the vice president instructed him to deliver large amounts of confidential funds to her security aide, and that Duterte's 2022 campaign was financed by so-called drug money and funds linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators.
Duterte has denied any personal relationship with Madriaga. She previously said she had never given him instructions and accused him of spreading false statements to undermine her possible presidential candidacy.
Madriaga's lawyer, Raymund Palad, has said his client is willing to testify before Congress or the Ombudsman once formally summoned. Palad said they are prepared to present records to support his allegations.
