Sara Duterte's perjury complaint vs Ramil Madriaga junked - GMA Network
The Office of the City Prosecutor of Taguig has dismissed the perjury complaint filed by Vice President Sara Duterte against alleged former bagman Ramil Madriaga.
“Wherefore, premises considered, it is respectfully recommended that instant complaint for Perjury against Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga, a.k.a. Ramil Lagonoy Madriaga, be dismissed for lack of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty to conviction,” Assistant City Prosecutor Duke Thaddeus Maog said in the resolution dated September 2.
Madriaga, who identified himself as a former aide and bagman of Duterte, alleged that drug dealers and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) operators were funding the campaign “Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP) Pilipinas.”
“The sole issue is whether the evidence presently on record establishes the elements of perjury with the quantum of proof required under the 2024 DOJ-NPS (Department of Justice National Prosecution Office) Rules on Preliminary Investigation and Inquest Proceedings. On this point, the evidence is wanting,” Maog said.
Perjury is not established just because one version of events seems more probable than the other, he added.
The perjury complaint stemmed from an affidavit filed by Madriaga on November 29, 2025. In the affidavit, Madriaga claimed that he was tasked by Duterte to organize the ISIP group for her presidential candidacy. The former aide said that Duterte herself funded ISIP’s activities, along with other campaign organizations.
In the same affidavit, Madriaga said that he personally handled the delivery of confidential funds, including deliveries of bags containing P33 million to P35 million, as well as a vehicle which had P80 million.
Finally, Madriaga also accused Duterte of using Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators to fund the activities of ISIP Pilipinas.
In her perjury complaint, Duterte said that Madriaga’s accusations were disproven by certifications from the Presidential Security Command, Office of the Vice President, Davao City Government, among others.
She also claimed that Madriaga crafted his statements from publicly available information.
“VP Duterte maintained that all the elements of perjury under Article 183 were present because respondent knowingly executed a sworn affidavit containing material falsehoods before a competent officer for a legal purpose, the affidavit having been intended for and eventually submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman,” Maog wrote.
In return, Madriaga said that his testimony was only corroborated by Duterte’s affidavits and documentary evidence. He also said that he never claimed to have a plantilla position within the Presidential Security Group and the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, so certifications saying otherwise did not prove anything.
“Finally, respondent submitted additional photographs and documentary evidence, including photographs allegedly showing the vehicle and cash referred to in his affidavit, which he claimed corroborated his original statements,” Maog said.
In a statement, Madriaga’s counsel Atty. Mark Anthony Te said that they have received a copy of the resolution issued by the Taguig prosecutors.
“This Resolution is a clear reminder that the strength of a case is not measured by the volume of papers filed, the amount of media attention generated, or the stature and position of the person making the accusation. In the end, allegations must still be tested against the evidence and the law,” Te said.
He added the dismissal vindicated Madriaga’s position, showing that institutions can rise above personalities and politics.
“No amount of publicity can substitute for proof. No title, office, or political influence can cure the absence of sufficient evidence. The legal process remains anchored on facts, evidence, and the applicable standard required by law,” Te added. —AOL/RF, GMA News
