The Tamesis
April 15, 2026
Manila – Ramil Madriaga disputed reports that confidential funds (CF) deposited in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Vice President Sara Duterte were spent in 11 days in 2022, noting that he liquidated the entire amount in less than a day.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the impeachment complaint against Duterte, Madriga detailed how he handled CF spending, noting that he delivered cash to San Pablo, Laguna, Nightstrip and the Office of the Ombudsman respectively.
Years after delivery, Madriaga said he heard media reports that the confidential funds were spent within 11 days, but he said that was not true because he disposed of the money in less than 24 hours on December 20, 2022.
“A few years later, I saw from several media reports that the P125 million confidential OVP funds for 2022 were reportedly depleted in just eleven (11) days. This is false because I personally disposed of the money in less than 24 hours,” he said.
Madriga was referring to last September 2023 discussions on the proposed 2024 national budget, in which former Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo confirmed that the OVP under Duterte spent P125 million in just 11 days.
Kimbo made the remarks after being asked by Rep. Arlene Brosas, D-Gabriella, during the budget review of the Committee of Audit (COA) plenary. Jimbo defended the COA allocation at the plenary meeting.
In addition to his testimony about the disbursement of classified funds, Madrigal also provided details about the shipment — a call he allegedly received from Duterte asking him to coordinate with Col. Denis Nolasco to deliver cash to allies as a way to “give back.”
“In the morning of December 20, 2022, Sara called me and she said, ‘Mr. Ram, please coordinate with Colonel Nolasco. Meron tayong to send San Pablo, Laguna, Nightstrip to the Ombudsman’s office.’ Sara added, “bawi tayo sa kanila.” Later, I received a text message from her indicating the delivery location, which included: (a) San Pablo, Laguna, (b) Nightstrip, (c) Office of the Ombudsman (‘OMB’) and the corresponding contact numbers,” Madriaga said.
“Later that morning, Col. Nolasco sent me a text message instructing me to go to the DepEd Central Office in Pasig City, next to Ultra, at around 1:30 p.m. for ‘transportation.’ Transport is shorthand for the delivery or transportation of large sums of money between Col. Nolasco and me on Sara’s instructions,” he added.
Madriga said four large black bags were unloaded from the vehicle: three dark and one light, each containing approximately 30 million to 35 million pesos.
A total of three shipments were transported: one to Nommu Basho, San Pablo, Laguna, Tomas Morato, Quezon City and the remaining luggage to the Ombudsman Parking Lot.
During the delivery in San Pablo, Madriga said, they were transferred to Cabuyao, Laguna, to meet a politician, where he saw “three people waiting next to a black sport utility vehicle,” and one of them went to the Toyota Grandia used for the delivery and “took one of the bags.”
At Nommu Basho, Madriga said former OVP spokesman Reynolds Munsayac met him at Nightstrip, a comedy bar said to be frequented by San Sebastian Law School alumni.
Madriga said that during the last delivery at the Quezon City Ombudsman’s Office, a guard “signaled us to park in a specific area of the OMB parking lot.”
“We went to a specific area and parked the red Mazda sedan there, where we put the remaining two bags of money. We put the keys on top of the left front wheel, which is what we always do when transporting large amounts of money,” Madriga said.
“Previously, I also handed over money to Ombudsman Samuel Martires or Attorney Ryan on the direct instruction of PRRD (former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) or Sara, and I usually placed the money in the open trunk of the designated car,” he added.
Ramil Madriga revealed more details about his ties to the Duterte family while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
Madrigal has said that former President Rodrigo Duterte would prefer his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, to his son to succeed him in politics.
According to Madriga, between late 2015 and 2016, former Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez decided to support Duterte’s presidential bid and introduced him to Duterte.
Eventually, Madriga said, he was appointed as a counterintelligence agent on the National Security Council but was never paid through official channels. Later, he was assigned by the former president to support Vice President Duterte’s candidacy for mayor of Davao City.
Presumably, Duterte Sr. also asked Madrigal to introduce individuals related to the vice president because she is the Duterte patriarch’s favorite, as opposed to Davao City Rep. Paul Duterte (who he called “crazy”) and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte (who he called “gay”).
Madrigal’s testimony has been long-awaited by multiple authorities, as many believe his allegations are the missing piece regarding allegations of misuse of the Confidential Fund (CF).
According to the third group of complainants, Madriga’s claims clearly established how Duterte “actually diverted confidential funds to her own personal use contrary to the actual purpose for which they were designated and/or allegedly paid.”
Duterte filed perjury charges against Madrigal, denying his accusations and labeling him as a member of a kidnapping-for-ransom group that planned to assassinate her.
