Carpio files P7.3-M damages suit vs impeachment backers over ‘perjurious lies’

Lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, has filed a P7.3-million civil lawsuit against several individuals linked to an impeachment complaint against the vice president, accusing them of spreading “perjurious lies” that allegedly damaged his legal career and personal reputation.

The complaint for damages was filed on 29 April 2026 before the Davao City Regional Trial Court (RTC) against Joel Saballa, Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga, and several unnamed “co-conspirators, confederators, cooperators and connivers.”

In the suit, Carpio alleged that the defendants orchestrated a coordinated effort to “blacken, degrade, destroy and harm” the political standing of the vice president while also tarnishing his own “unsullied reputation” as a lawyer.

The case stems from an impeachment complaint filed before the House of Representatives on 9 February 2026, accusing Duterte of constitutional violations, bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other alleged offenses.

Carpio claimed the accusations formed part of what he described as a broader “black propaganda” campaign aimed at disqualifying the vice president from a possible 2028 presidential bid.

The lawsuit also mentioned Leila de Lima, alleging that the lawmaker appeared to have “immediately endorsed” the impeachment complaint through a resolution dated the same day it was filed.

According to the complaint, Madriaga played a central role in bolstering the impeachment case by allegedly providing false testimony and affidavits before the House Committee on Justice. 

Carpio specifically challenged Madriaga’s claim that he delivered duffel bags containing millions of pesos in confidential funds to various locations under the vice president’s instructions.

Carpio described the allegations as “concocted, coached, and invented lies.”

The plaintiff argued that the defendants acted in bad faith by including accusations that allegedly fall outside the constitutional grounds for impeachment, asserting that impeachable officers may only be held liable for acts committed during their incumbency and in relation to official functions.

In his complaint, Carpio said the controversy had severely affected his law practice and standing within the legal community.

“Plaintiff’s law practice via his Carpio Law Office has been irreparably damaged, adversely impacted his good reputation in the legal community, resulting in severe loss of income and legal opportunities,” the filing stated.

Carpio is seeking P1 million in actual damages for alleged lost income, P3 million in moral damages for anxiety and reputational harm, and another P3 million in exemplary damages, which he said would serve to deter the “malicious weaponization of the impeachment processes.”

He is also asking the court to award P300,000 in attorney’s fees and litigation expenses.

The lawsuit further argued that the public referral of the impeachment complaint to the House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro amplified the reputational damage through heightened public scrutiny and what Carpio described as a “massive invasion of privacy.”

The civil case remains pending as the Davao court prepares to issue a summons and schedule further proceedings.