A Davao City painter has come forward to contradict testimony given at the House Committee on Justice, saying a artwork attributed to an alleged former aide of Vice President Sara Duterte was actually her own gift to the VP years ago.
Tanya Gaisano Lee, identified as the painting’s creator, pushed back on claims made by Ramil Madriaga — described as a former aide and bagman of Duterte — who told lawmakers during Tuesday’s hearing that he had personally given the artwork to the vice president. Photographs presented by Madriaga during the proceedings showed the painting visible in the background of a video conference with Duterte.
“During our video conference, I noticed the painting I personally gave her as a gift,” Madriaga said at the hearing.
Under questioning by House members, Madriaga went further, saying the painting had been commissioned from one of his scholars in Laguna.
“Nag-regalo po ako sa kanya ng isang painting na ginawa ng isang scholar ko sa Laguna… Pinagawa ko po ‘yan at kinuha ng Presidential Security Group sa bahay sa Laguna,” he said.
Lee, in an Instagram story cited in a 24 Oras report by journalist Mark Salazar on Wednesday, directly contradicted each element of that account — the giver, the artist, and the origin.
“I gifted this painting to VP Sara when she was mayor of Davao City in 2021,” Lee said. “Anything stated otherwise is false.”
She also rejected Madriaga’s description of the artwork’s creator as one of his provincial scholars.
“I am not a scholar. I am not from Laguna. I am from Davao: Life is HERE,” Lee said.
A 2021 Facebook post by Duterte showing the painting appears to corroborate the timeline Lee provided.
