Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday, September 26, denied any links to Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., the former security aide of ex-House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco who alleged he brought her suitcases of cash totaling more than P2 billion.
“I do not know Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., nor have I ever received any money from him,” Duterte said in a signed statement, adding that her lawyers are waiting for an official copy of his affidavit from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before filing cases against him.
She called the allegations “nothing more than another media stunt, an attempt to breathe life into a faltering impeachment case,” and said Gracioso’s testimony would end up “in the trash bin—just like the one from Ramil Madriaga,” the self-confessed former aide whose affidavit is part of the impeachment complaints against her. Duterte filed a perjury complaint against Madriaga in March.
The Vice President also accused the Marcos administration of trying to bring her down, push Charter Change, “prevent the 2028 elections, and cling to power.” She did not present evidence for these claims. She repeated her call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take a public drug test and to answer for the flood control scandal.
In an exclusive interview with GMA News, Gracioso said he served as Velasco’s head of security from 2018 through Velasco’s speakership from 2020 to 2022, and made more than 20 deliveries to Duterte on Velasco’s instructions. In his affidavit, he described suitcases holding P20 million to P50 million each, including one delivery he placed at P500 million in 2021. He also alleged that nearly 10 new vans were turned over to Duterte, then Davao City mayor, to transport cash, and claimed the money came from collections tied to public works projects. He said he also delivered money to former President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte.
Gracioso showed GMA News photos he said were taken during the deliveries, but the network said it had not independently verified them. The photos were not part of his affidavit.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida told GMA News that the Department of Justice has received the affidavit and is evaluating it. The NBI said Gracioso would remain under its custody during the investigation.
Gracioso’s claims are separate from the articles of impeachment now before the Senate, where Duterte’s trial reached its 29th day on September 23. That same day, the impeachment court voted 13-1, with six of her allies abstaining, to lower the threshold needed to convict her. Her defense team said it is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court.
