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Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference, February 7, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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20250207-sara duterte-impeachment-presscon

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176636610721820250207-vp-duterte-presscon-impeachment-MT-7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference, February 7, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div><div> </div>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday denied having any personal relationship with Ramil Madriaga, an individual who claimed to be her bagman, and said his accusations amounted to “nothing more than noise.” Duterte said she had never given Madriaga &quot;instructions of any kind&quot; and added that she had “never visited him in prison, nor have I spoken to him about anything at any time.” The Vice President said the photographs he submitted were “unrelated images taken during public events where I was present.” “These images do not support his allegations and merely show that he was present as part of an election campaign group,” Duterte said in a statement. “Mr. Madriaga has offered no proof — no documents, no corroboration — only accusations. Bare allegations, no matter how loudly repeated, amount to nothing more than noise,” she continued. In his notarized affidavit referred last week to the Office of the Ombudsman, Madriaga alleged he executed big-time cash deliveries on Duterte’s behalf, adding a national campaign for Duterte was funded by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and drug lords.But Duterte said 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,” she said. Madriaga had identified himself as an intelligence and security officer under then-President Rodrigo Duterte and said he formed Inday Sara Duterte is my President (ISIP) where he served as a national convenor in 2020.He said he worked for the younger Duterte when she was still Davao City mayor in 2018 and was eventually tasked to form the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group when she was elected vice president.Madriaga’s lawyer Raymund Palad earlier said they hoped the Ombudsman’s probe would lead to a forensic examination of his client&#x27;s three mobile phones, which allegedly contain call logs and text messages that prove the deliveries and other allegations made in the affidavit.Madriaga is detained at the BJMP Annex 2 over kidnapping charges, which he said in a letter to Palad were a frame-up by former Palace spokesperson Harry Roque and a police general.<div> </div>

Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday said the graft accusations of her alleged bagman Ramil Madriaga were not backed by any proof and amounted to “nothing more than noise.”

Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday said the graft accusations of her alleged bagman Ramil Madriaga were not backed by any proof and amounted to “nothing more than noise.”

Sara Duterte says Madriaga accusations ‘amount to nothing more than noise’

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Sara Duterte says Madriaga accusations ‘amount to nothing more than noise’

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 22, 2025 09:16 AM PHT

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Updated December 22, 2025 09:42 AM PHT

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