Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday refuted claims made by Ramil Madriaga, saying she has no personal or professional connection with him and has never given him instructions of any kind.
Madriaga, who presented himself as an alleged former aide of Duterte, earlier submitted a notarized affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman claiming that he executed large cash deliveries on Duterte’s behalf.
He also alleged that her national campaign was funded by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and drug syndicates.
Madriaga’s legal counsel further claimed that Duterte had visited him twice at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Annex 2 and offered to intervene in his kidnapping case.
In her statement, Duterte strongly denied the allegations, saying she has never visited Madriaga in prison or discussed any matters with him.
She also dismissed photographs submitted by Madriaga, explaining that the images were taken during public events where she was present and do not support his claims.
“These images merely show that he was present as part of an election campaign group,” she said.
Duterte emphasized that Madriaga has provided no evidence to substantiate his statements, noting the absence of documents or corroboration.
“Bare allegations, no matter how loudly repeated, amount to nothing more than noise,” she added.
The vice president also highlighted that Madriaga is facing serious criminal charges and has a prior criminal record, suggesting his statements may be motivated by a desire to secure his release from detention.
She accused him of disseminating false information to government authorities in an apparent effort to obstruct and undermine her potential candidacy for President.
“Mr. Madriaga, who is currently facing serious criminal charges and has a prior criminal record, appears to be acting out of desperation to secure his release from detention. He is now disseminating false statements to government authorities as part of a concerted effort to obstruct and undermine my possible candidacy for President,” Duterte said.
