Another alleged Velasco driver claims cash deliveries to Sara

A man claiming to be a former driver of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has surfaced with allegations that he delivered cash to Vice President Sara Duterte on Velasco's instructions.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed Thursday, 29 October, that it received a three-page sworn statement from the man, who identified himself only as “Chris.”

Chris claimed to have worked as Velasco's driver from 2020 to 2022, during which he allegedly made cash deliveries to Duterte at the former Speaker's direction.

The new allegation comes as the NBI investigates a separate sworn affidavit filed by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., who previously served as one of Velasco's security personnel.

In his affidavit, Gracioso alleged that Velasco instructed him to deliver cash to members of the Duterte family.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier said Gracioso also claimed that the money was used by the Duterte family to purchase properties.

Meanwhile, the NBI has submitted its initial findings on the investigation into Vice President Duterte's properties to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Matibag previously said investigators found discrepancies between the assessed values of several properties and the amounts declared in Duterte's latest Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

The allegations remain under investigation. The sworn statements do not, by themselves, establish that the alleged cash deliveries occurred or that any wrongdoing was committed.