Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

Vice President-elect Sara Zimmerman Duterte delivers a speech after taking her oath of office as the 15th Vice President of the Philippines during the inauguration ceremony attended by her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, at San Pedro Square, Poblacion District in Davao City on June 19, 2022. Ace Morandante, Presidential Photo

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Politics-Duterte

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Manila Rep. Joel Chua on Thursday said Vice President Sara Duterte may have committed an election offense if allegations that her 2022 campaign received funding from Chinese nationals linked to Pharmally are proven true.Chua, a lawyer, House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chairperson, and member of the House Committee on Justice, said the claims raise serious legal concerns. He noted that Section 81 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to a candidate’s campaign.“Kapag napatunayang dayuhan ang mga nag-ambag sa kampanya, malinaw na may isyu ng culpable violation of the Constitution,” Chua said in a statement. He added that such a violation could be considered an impeachable offense, as public officials are sworn to uphold the Constitution and obey election laws enforced by authorities such as the Commission on Elections.Section 96 of the Omnibus Election Code also makes it unlawful for candidates and political parties to solicit or accept foreign contributions, whether directly or indirectly.“Ang nakikita ko rito ay posibleng election offense, dahil may distribution na naganap. Kailangan nating alamin kung ang mga sangkot ay Chinese citizens. Kung sila ay foreign nationals at hindi Pilipino, malinaw na may paglabag sa election code,” Chua said.The issue stems from allegations made by Duterte’s supposed bagman, Ramil Madriaga, who, in a supplemental affidavit, claimed he received millions of pesos from Pharmally financial officer Lin Weixiong and businessmen Maestrado Lim, also known as Tony Yang, as well as his brother Michael Yang.The funds were allegedly intended to support Duterte’s campaign.Chua said that Lim and the Yang brothers have been linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte, with Michael Yang having previously served as his economic adviser. They have also been associated with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities.Madriaga said the funds were funneled through Initiative for Social Justice, Innovation, and Progress Pilipinas (ISIP), a non-profit organization he founded. He claimed the group was originally created to support Duterte’s 2022 presidential bid.According to Madriaga, ISIP was established in 2020 upon the instructions of Duterte and the former president. Once operational, he said he was directed to solicit donations from their allies, including P175 million allegedly from Wei Xiong and P100 million from Lim.He claimed the funds were used for nationwide campaign activities, including organizing chapters, producing campaign materials, and covering travel, accommodations, office rentals, and allowances for volunteers.Chua said another key issue is whether these alleged contributions were properly declared in Duterte’s Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).“Ang tanong diyan—nasa SOCE ba iyan? Kung tumanggap ka ng ganoong kalaking halaga, dapat malinaw at tumpak ang deklarasyon. Duda ako kung may P175 million mula sa Pharmally na naka-entry sa kanyang SOCE. Iyan ang kailangang linawin,” he said.Chua also said the House Committee on Justice remains open to hearing Duterte’s side.“Mag-submit sila ng mga affidavit o anumang ebidensiya na sa tingin nila ay makakatulong sa kanilang panig. Tulad ng sinabi ng chairman, hangga’t hindi pa tapos ang hearing, bukas ang komite sa pagtanggap ng lahat ng ebidensiya,” he added. Duterte has so far skipped all hearings of the Justice committee on the impeachment complaints against her. Instead, she has filed petitions seeking to halt the proceedings and has issued public statements on social media criticizing the panel’s credibility.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/15/sara-duterte-says-madriaga-cannot-even-weave-a-believable-lie-0947">&#x27;They cannot even weave a believable lie&#x27;: Sara Duterte takes issue with Madriaga&#x27;s law school claims</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/15/marcos-jr-shocked-by-madriaga-s-revelations-palace-denies-term-sharing-deal-1711">Marcos Jr ‘shocked’ by Madriaga&#x27;s revelations; Palace denies ‘term-sharing’ deal as Imee rebuts allegations</a></div>

House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chairperson Manila Rep. Joel Chua noted that Section 81 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to a candidate’s campaign.

House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chairperson Manila Rep. Joel Chua noted that Section 81 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to a candidate’s campaign.

Lawmaker flags alleged 'Pharmally-linked Chinese donations' to Sara Duterte's 2022 campaign

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Lawmaker flags alleged 'Pharmally-linked Chinese donations' to Sara Duterte's 2022 campaign

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 16, 2026 09:23 PM PHT

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Impeachment

Sara Duterte

Ramil Madriaga

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