Court dismisses VP Duterte’s perjury case vs. former aide Ramil Madriaga

MANILA – The Taguig City Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday released a resolution, dismissing the perjury charges filed by Vice President Sara Duterte against her alleged former aide Ramil Madriaga.

The Taguig Prosecutors’ Office, in a 19-page resolution, said the Vice President’s charges must be dismissed “for insufficiency of evidence.”

“While complainant has presented evidence disputing respondent’s assertions, the evidence presently on record does not establish prima facie, with reasonable certainty of conviction, that respondent knowingly and willfully made materially false statements under oath in violation of Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code,” the resolution read.

Duterte filed her first perjury case against Madriaga after the latter claimed in an affidavit submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman that the Vice President instructed him to deliver large sums of money to different people.

Madriaga also accused the Vice President of using Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators to fund the “Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP) Pilipinas,” which he organized at Duterte's instruction for her presidential candidacy.

The Vice President had denied Madriaga’s claims.

-Philippine News Agency