In the materials released by the Office of the Vice President, Duterte can be seen taking her oath and was accompanied by her legal counsel Paolo Panelo. OVP
MANILA — The Taguig City prosecutors junked the perjury complaint filed by Vice President Sara Duterte against Ramil Madriaga, her self-proclaimed bagman, for lack of evidence.
Perjury is the act of committing falsehoods under oath.
Duterte alleged that Madriaga lodged a sworn and notarized affidavit that contained “deliberate and material falsehoods” on his supposed relationship with her.
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“Having examined each of the alleged false statements individually, the undersigned finds that the evidence is insufficient to establish prima facie, with reasonable certainty of conviction, that respondent committed the crime of Perjury under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code,” read the resolution penned by Assistant City Prosecutor Duke Thaddeus Maog and reviewed by City Prosecutor Vincent Villena.
It added that the issue is not whether Madriaga’s testimony is “credible, persuasive, or even truthful.”
“To be sure, complainant has presented evidence contradicting respondent’s narrative,” it stated. “These pieces of evidence tend to undermine respondent’s account and may affect the credibility or evidentiary weight accorded to his assertions in other proceedings.”
“While the evidence submitted by the complainant raises questions regarding respondent’s version of events, it does not independently establish that respondent knowingly and deliberately asserted falsehoods under oath upon material matters,” the resolution said.
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Madriaga, in his counter-affidavit, said Duterte merely disagreed with his testimony, noting that he did not have any motive to make up allegations.
The Vice President argued that Madriaga fabricated that he was part of the Presidential Security Group under the Duterte administration and the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group and that he was involved in the handling and delivery of confidential funds.
The purported bagman also claimed that campaign organizations were funded by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and drug dealers.
Madriaga’s statements were included in the complaints filed at the Ombudsman and in the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
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The resolution stated that it should not be “construed as validating, invalidating, prejudging, or otherwise affecting the proceedings” pending before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Senate convening as an impeachment court.
ABS-CBN News has yet to receive a comment from Duterte’s camp.