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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
April 15, 2026 | 12:58pm
Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The STAR / KJ Rosales, File
MANILA, Philippines — In Vice President Sara Duterte’s first public statement since the shocking testimony of self-confessed bagman Ramil Madriaga, she took offense to claims of her poor academic performance—but remained mum on whether or not her family had a plot to unseat President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Madriaga made several heavy claims against the Dutertes. One of these allegations included an agreement between Marcos and the Davao clan, saying that he would step down as president by 2025, allowing Duterte to take over and still run again in 2028.
However, should Marcos refuse to step down, the Dutertes allegedly had an ouster plot ready, which included government destabilization and possible assassination plots.
This was not Madriaga’s only claim. He also said that executives from Pharmally helped bankroll Duterte’s would-be presidential campaign in 2022. He even said that Duterte’s confidential funds were gone in 24 hours, not 11 days as previously thought.
However, the vice president zeroed in on Madriaga’s claim that she needed special favors from the Ombudsman’s Assistant Special Prosecutor Ryan Rey Quilala to be able to pass San Sebastian College of Law.
“I completed my studies on my own terms. I placed a higher premium on living a well-rounded life rather than pursuing academic excellence. I never asked any professor for special accommodation for my grades because the bare minimum was easy enough to meet. I was never the subject of any complaint for rudeness or violence against other students at [San Sebastian College - Recoletos College of Law],” Duterte said.
While she did not directly address the other allegations against her, Duterte said that the hearing was filled with lies. She called the impeachment proceedings against her a “mini-trial", all while repeatedly refusing to attend any of the hearings.
