The man who claims to have personally handled Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds told a House hearing Tuesday that the ₱125 million allocated to the Office of the Vice President in 2022 was not disbursed over 11 days — it was gone in less than 24 hours.
Ramil Madriaga, a self-confessed bagman who says he acted as a courier for both Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, made the disclosure before the House Committee on Justice as lawmakers examined evidence tied to the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the vice president.
“I personally disposed that money in less than 24 hours,” Madriaga said.
The testimony significantly revises the timeline that has defined the confidential funds controversy. The Commission on Audit had previously flagged the OVP for spending the entire ₱125 million within 11 days in December 2022 — a figure the OVP itself had already contested, arguing implementation began earlier than COA’s recorded window.
Madriaga also told the committee that he received direct orders from both Rodrigo and Sara Duterte to deliver money to former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, referred to in his account as “Atty. Ryan.”
The hearing was not without its complications. Madriaga broke down in tears while reading portions of his supplemental affidavit on the floor, and later acknowledged under questioning that some of the evidence he submitted to the committee came from Facebook. One item he cited was a photograph taken from a video conference of a group called ISIP Pilipinas, of which he claims to be a member.
“Maraming video conference yan, hindi ko po alam kung… Sa Facebook po yan ng ISIP Pilipinas nila nakuha, pero ‘yung original po niyan nasa main Facebook ng ISIP Pilipinas movement,” he said, adding: “Hindi ko po alam kung bat siguro pinag-combine-combine.”
Madriaga explained that his detention has prevented him from gathering additional evidence to support his claims against Duterte.
Tuesday’s session marked the first time the committee formally examined documents and witnesses following the issuance of subpoenas in the renewed impeachment push against the vice president.
