IMPEACHMENT resource person Ramil L. Madriaga on Wednesday detailed how he allegedly transported duffel bags of cash upon the direct instructions of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, including a December 2022 operation he said involved tens of millions of pesos drawn from confidential funds.
In a 24-page sworn supplemental affidavit, Madriaga said the operation began with a direct call from Duterte herself on the morning of December 20, 2022.
“In the morning of December 20, 2022, Sara called me and she said ‘Sir Ram, please coordinate with Col. [Dennis] Nolasco. Meron tayong deliver sa San Pablo, Laguna, sa Nightstrip, at sa Ombudsman,’” Madriaga said in the affidavit.
He said Duterte also told him, “bawal tayo sa kanila,” before later sending him a text message identifying the delivery points and their corresponding contact numbers.
Madriaga said he was later instructed by Col. Dennis Nolasco, whom he described as one of his best students in the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and later part of the Vice-Presidential Security and Protection Group, to proceed to the Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office in Pasig City beside Ultra at around 1:30 p.m. for a “transport.”
“Transport is short-hand for delivery or transportation of large sums of money between Col. Nolasco and me, upon the instructions of Sara,” he said.
According to Madriaga, he went to the DepEd compound with Richard Peralta Babagay, Arman Villanueva, a certain “Chief,” and a certain “Roel/Noel.” Richard drove his Blue Toyota FJ Cruiser, while Arman, Roel/Noel and Chief arrived in a Toyota Grandia with the sticker “INDAY SARA CHAMPORADU30” attached to both sides.
Madriaga said that as they waited near the main entrance of DepEd, Nolasco told him a Red Mazda sedan would also be used for one of the deliveries.
He said they later saw two government vehicles with red plates enter the compound.
“At around past 3:00 or 4:00 p.m., two (2) government vehicles, with red plates, entered the DepEd compound and then Col. Nolasco told me ‘ayan na, ayan na, ayan na,’” he said.
Madriaga said Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, whom he identified as the head of the Vice-Presidential Security and Protection Group, then appeared with a woman he later identified as Special Disbursement Officer Gina Acosta.
“Thereafter, four (4) large dark bags were unloaded from the vehicles – three (3) large dark bags and one (1) lighter-colored and relatively smaller bag. Col. Nolasco told me that each bag contained around Thirty Million Pesos (PhP30,000,000.00) to Thirty-Five Million Pesos (PhP35,000,000.00),” Madriaga said.
He said the four bags were then divided among their vehicles. Two large dark bags were loaded into the Toyota Grandia and assigned for separate deliveries to Laguna and Nommu Basho in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.
One large dark bag and one lighter-colored bag were initially placed in his Blue Toyota FJ Cruiser, but were later transferred to the Red Mazda sedan.
Madriaga said the Red Mazda then proceeded directly to his residence in Cainta, Rizal and was driven by “Noel/Roel.”
He also alleged that before leaving DepEd, Nolasco told him to take his own share from the cash because Nolasco and Lachica had already taken theirs.
“Before leaving the DepEd Central Office, Col. Nolasco told me to get my share from the said bags as he and Col. Lachica have already taken theirs. Hence, I took One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000.00) for myself from the lighter-colored bag loaded to the Red Mazda Sedan,” he said.
Madriaga said this was the moment he personally verified the contents of the bags.
“That’s when I verified that the contents of the bags were bundles of cash in one thousand denominations, and packed in stacks of one million pesos each tightly sealed in a transparent plastic,” he said.
He said the first delivery was initially supposed to be made in San Pablo, Laguna, but that he was later redirected to Cabuyao, Laguna.
“We (Blue Toyota FJ Cruiser and Toyota Grandia) left the DepEd Central Office past 5:00 p.m. heading to San Pablo, Laguna. As we approached Laguna, I called the contact number provided by Sara informing the designated recipient that we are on our way. However, I was directed to proceed to Cabuyao, Laguna instead,” he said.
Madriaga said the first bag was delivered in an industrial park area where three men were waiting beside a dark sports utility vehicle.
“As we approached the designated place, I can clearly see, from our vantage point, an S&R Membership Shopping establishment. Upon arrival, I immediately saw three persons standing in wait beside a dark sports utility vehicle. One of them proceeded to the Toyota Grandia and took one of the bags,” he said.
He said the group then proceeded to Nommu Basho, a Tomas Morato comedy bar he referred to as the “Nightstrip,” which he said was frequently visited by San Sebastian College of Law alumni, including Assistant Special Prosecutor Ryan Rey Quilala and Atty. Reynold Munsayac, who later became spokesperson of the Office of the Vice President.
Madriaga said he was familiar with Nommu Basho because he had previously visited it several times in relation to his work with Sara Duterte and with Initiative for Social Justice, Innovation, and Progress Pilipinas, or ISIP Pilipinas, Inc., a group he said was formed to support her political ambitions.
“We arrived at Nommu Basho around 12:00 midnight. I went inside the establishment with Arman who was carrying the second bag. I immediately saw Atty. Munsayac who was, at the time, in the middle of the place together with a woman and several men. When he saw me, he stood up and signaled for us to go upstairs,” Madriaga said.
He said the actual handoff took place near a room on the second floor.
“Before I got to the 2nd Floor, I saw a man who came out of a room and received the bag from Arman. After that, we proceeded to exit the premises and as I was passing near the table of Atty. Munsayac, I looked at him and he nodded,” he said.
Madriaga said that after the Nommu Basho drop, they stopped to eat before agreeing to meet again later that morning at his residence in Cainta.
Madriaga also disputed public reports that P125 million in Office of the Vice President confidential funds in 2022 had been spent over 11 days.
“A few years later, I read from several media reports that the One Hundred Twenty-Five Million Pesos (PhP125,000,000.00) OVP confidential funds in 2022 were reportedly utilized in just eleven (11) days. This is wrong because I personally disposed the money in less than twenty-four (24) hours,” he said.
