MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday pushed back against media coverage of her perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga, saying descriptions of him as her “ex-aide” or “bagman” are inaccurate and misleading.
In a statement, Duterte said the “ex-aide” label presupposes as fact the very allegation her perjury complaint seeks to disprove.
“He was never my aide, friend, employee, or a member of my staff in any capacity,” Duterte said. “The only person who knows him is Atty. R. Quilala of ISIP Pilipinas.”
She urged reporters to exercise greater care in their coverage, saying accuracy and fairness “must always come first.”
Duterte filed the perjury complaint against Madriaga at the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office, accompanied by her lawyer, Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. Madriaga filed a notarized affidavit in December 2025 claiming he delivered funds and worked behind the scenes on Duterte’s instructions, and that her 2022 election campaign was financed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and drug-linked financiers.
Duterte said it was only after consulting with lawyer Ryan Rey Quilala — one of the people named in Madriaga’s affidavit — that she learned Madriaga had been a campaign supporter and member of ISIP Pilipinas, or the “Inday Sara Is My President” movement.
Madriaga’s affidavit has become one of the central pieces of evidence in the impeachment proceedings against Duterte at the House of Representatives, where the committee on justice has been scrutinizing the complaints for sufficiency in substance.
Madriaga has been detained since 2023 on a pending kidnapping case. Duterte has also alleged he belongs to a kidnap-for-ransom group that had plotted her assassination.
Madriaga’s camp said he stands by his sworn affidavit and is prepared to defend it before the proper forum. His lawyers said the perjury complaint should not be used to intimidate or silence individuals who provide testimony in matters of public concern.
