Lawyer: Madriaga affidavit ‘missing link’ in VP Sara confidential funds case

Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan on Monday said the sworn statement of former aide Ramil Madriaga provides the “missing link” in tracing how confidential funds were allegedly spent by Vice President Sara Duterte, even as the impeachment case “can stand even without” his affidavit.

Ligutan, lawyer for the complainants, said the third impeachment complaint against the Vice President is supported by documentary evidence that does not rely solely on Madriaga’s testimony.

“On one hand, the case can stand even without the affidavit of Ramil Madriaga,” Ligutan said. “Why? Because the Vice President, her two offices, submitted fictitious names as alleged recipients of these millions of pesos entrusted to her.”

The lawyer said the complainants attached certifications from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing that the listed payees do not exist.

“We have certifications from the Philippine Statistic Authority saying that these individuals do not exist. They were not born. They are not dead. They are what they are. Fictitious,” Ligutan said.

Further, Ligutan said the Madriaga affidavit nevertheless strengthens the case by detailing how funds were allegedly disbursed.

“And here comes, out of the blue, providing the missing link, so to speak, on how the Vice President actually did it. Ramil Madriaga’s affidavit narrates how the 125 million pesos were actually spent on December 2022,” he said.

Ligutan said the complaint is a 98-page pleading, excluding annexes, and includes what he described as Documents Evidencing Payments showing how public funds were allegedly used while Duterte served as Vice President and head of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“We attached the DEPs Documents Evidence Payments of the Vice President proving, allegedly, how she spends the millions of pesos entrusted to her, being the Vice President and also being the head of DepEd,” Ligutan said.

He added that the Vice President’s own documents form part of the evidence.

“And we have the Vice President herself, she signs certifications saying that she ordered how the millions of pesos, how these should be spent,” Ligutan said. “So we have everything. We have witnesses, we have documents to prove that the Vice President violated her oath.”

He also said the complainants are leaving it to the House of Representatives to determine how the impeachment process will proceed, whether through committee hearings or a faster route.

“It’s really up to the House on how to proceed,” he said. “We have two options: we can go through the more rigorous process, the House Committee on Justice determining whether the allegations, the three impeachment complaints are sufficient in form and in substance… Or the House of Representatives could proceed with the more expeditious way of impeaching the Vice President, that is through a vote of one-third in the plenary.”

“But on behalf of the third set of complainants, we believe either way, either way, the evidence will speak for themselves,” he added.

The third impeachment complaint was filed by a coalition of clergy, civil society leaders, and lawyers, and was endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima.