In the contested arena of Philippine politics, Vice President Sara Duterte has denied receiving over two billion pesos in cash allegedly delivered by a former security aide across more than twenty occasions — dismissing the sworn claims as a manufactured distraction engineered to sustain an impeachment case against her. The allegations, now under NBI investigation, arrive at a moment of deepening tension between the Duterte and Marcos political camps, raising questions about the boundary between legal accountability and political warfare. As with so many accusations in fragile democracies, the
Duterte denies receiving P2B from ex-Velasco aide, calls allegations 'media stunt'
I do not know him, nor have I ever received any money from him
Mark
So a former security aide claims he personally delivered two billion pesos to her in cash, more than twenty times, and the NBI is actually investigating. How does Duterte respond to something that specific?
Mimi
She denies it entirely. Says she doesn't know the man, never received money from him. Her lawyers are waiting for the official affidavit so they can build a case against him.
Luke
But the NBI has already polygraphed him and validated some of what he's saying. That's not nothing. What exactly did they validate?
Mimi
The source doesn't say. It just says the NBI "validated some of his statements through other means." We don't know which parts.
Mark
And Gracioso was actually Velasco's security chief for years, so he had access, he had proximity. Why would he make this up now?
Luke
That's the question nobody's answered yet. What's his motive? Is he cooperating with someone? Is he a witness in the impeachment case? The reporting doesn't say.
Mimi
Duterte frames it as a political attack—she says the administration is using it to derail her before 2028. That's her narrative.
Mark
But is there evidence the administration orchestrated this, or is she just saying that because it's convenient?
Luke
The reporting doesn't show evidence of orchestration. Duterte's making an accusation, but we don't have confirmation of who's behind Gracioso or why he's coming forward now. That's a real gap.
Mimi
What we do know is the NBI is taking it seriously enough to investigate and test him. That suggests there's something there worth looking at, even if we don't know what yet.
O Pulso
- A former security aide has sworn under oath that he personally delivered suitcases of cash — totaling over P2 billion — to the Vice President across more than twenty separate occasions, a claim explosive enough to reshape the political landscape.
- The NBI has opened a formal investigation, administered a polygraph test to the accuser, and corroborated portions of his account, lending the allegations institutional weight that cannot easily be dismissed.
- Duterte's legal team is racing to obtain the official affidavit so they can mount counter-cases, while she publicly compares the accuser to a previous witness she says was similarly discredited.
- Duterte has reframed the entire episode as a Marcos administration operation — a coordinated effort to remove her, delay the 2028 elections, and push constitutional changes under the cover of scandal.
- Rather than playing defense alone, Duterte went on offense, demanding the president submit to a public drug test and answer for a flood control controversy — signaling that this political battle is far from contained.
In the contested arena of Philippine politics, Vice President Sara Duterte has denied receiving over two billion pesos in cash allegedly delivered by a former security aide across more than twenty occasions — dismissing the sworn claims as a manufactured distraction engineered to sustain an impeachment case against her. The allegations, now under NBI investigation, arrive at a moment of deepening tension between the Duterte and Marcos political camps, raising questions about the boundary between legal accountability and political warfare. As with so many accusations in fragile democracies, the truth may matter less in the short term than the uses to which the story is put.
Vice President Sara Duterte publicly rejected allegations that she accepted more than two billion pesos in cash from Police Corporal Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., a man she says she does not know and has never met. In a Facebook statement on September 26, she denied any connection to Gracioso, who claims to have served as the head of security for former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
Gracioso's sworn affidavit, submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation, describes more than twenty cash deliveries made on Velasco's orders — suitcases carrying between twenty and fifty million pesos each, transported to the Vice President across Metro Manila, Davao, and other locations. The NBI confirmed it has opened an investigation, administered a polygraph test to Gracioso, and verified parts of his account through additional methods.
Duterte dismissed the claims as a recycled political tactic, drawing a parallel to earlier allegations from another accuser she also denied knowing. Her legal team is awaiting an official copy of the affidavit before filing counter-cases. She labeled the episode "another media stunt" designed to breathe life into what she called a faltering impeachment case against her.
She went further, accusing the Marcos administration of orchestrating the allegations as part of a calculated strategy to remove her from power, block the 2028 elections, and advance constitutional changes. Turning the pressure outward, she called on President Marcos to take a public drug test and account for a flood control controversy — framing both demands as the genuine will of the Filipino people, and insisting that no manufactured distraction could ultimately silence them.
Vice President Sara Duterte flatly rejected allegations that she received more than two billion pesos in cash from a former security aide to ex-House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. In a statement posted to Facebook on September 26, she said she did not know Police Corporal Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. and had never taken money from him.
Gracioso, who claimed to have served as Velasco's head of security from 2018 through the speaker's tenure from 2020 to 2022, made the allegations in a sworn affidavit that reached the National Bureau of Investigation. According to his account, he delivered suitcases filled with cash to Duterte, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte on Velasco's orders. Gracioso estimated he made more than twenty separate deliveries to the vice president, with individual transfers ranging from twenty million to fifty million pesos. The alleged cash movements occurred across Metro Manila, Davao, and other locations.
The NBI has opened an investigation into Gracioso's claims. Director Melvin Matibag confirmed the agency administered a polygraph test to Gracioso and corroborated portions of his statements through other investigative methods. Duterte said her legal team is waiting for an official copy of the affidavit from the NBI so they can begin preparing cases against Gracioso. She compared his allegations to previous claims made by Ramil Madriaga, whom she has also denied knowing, and predicted that Gracioso's testimony would ultimately be discredited.
Duterte characterized the allegations as a political maneuver tied to an ongoing impeachment case against her. She described the claims as "another media stunt" and an attempt to revive what she called a "faltering impeachment case." She went further, accusing the Marcos administration of orchestrating the allegations as part of a broader strategy to remove her from office, push constitutional changes, prevent the 2028 elections, and maintain power.
In her statement, Duterte shifted focus to the president himself, calling on Marcos to submit to a public drug test and answer questions about a flood control scandal. She framed these demands as expressions of public will, saying Filipinos want accountability and change. She concluded by asserting that no amount of political maneuvering or manufactured distraction could ultimately silence the people.
Citações Notáveis
I do not know Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., nor have I ever received any money from him— Vice President Sara Duterte
This is nothing more than another media stunt, an attempt to breathe life into a faltering impeachment case— Vice President Sara Duterte
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Leia o original em Philstar.com ↗