Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday confirmed that she has received a copy of the sworn affidavit of dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), along with identification documents, as she disputed 29 statements made about her.
In a statement dated October 5, Duterte said her camp’s review of the affidavit found 29 statements concerning her that they believe are false.
“Based on our count, Gracioso made 29 statements concerning me that we believe are false,” Duterte said.
Duterte also cited evidence that she said contradicts some of Gracioso’s claims regarding her whereabouts in 2019.
Among these, she said she and her former aide Jefry Tupas were not in Marinduque during Holy Week in 2019, and were also not in Manila on September 21, 2019.
Gracioso had alleged that two suitcases containing a total of P100 million were delivered to Tupas in Marinduque in April 2019. He also claimed that another P100 million was delivered to Tupas at the Diamond Hotel in Manila on September 21, 2019.
Tupas has separately denied receiving money on Duterte’s behalf.
In his affidavit submitted to the NBI, Tupas said he had never been to Marinduque and was in South Korea from April 18 to 21, 2019. He also said he was in Japan on September 19 and only returned to the Philippines on the evening of September 21, 2019, contradicting Gracioso’s account of the alleged cash delivery.
Tupas said he submitted airline tickets, passport stamps, photographs and social media messages to support his account.
Gracioso, a dismissed police officer who said he previously served as part of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco’s security detail, has alleged that he delivered suitcases containing millions of pesos in cash to Duterte and other members of the Duterte family on Velasco’s instructions.
He estimated that he delivered more than P2 billion to Sara Duterte in more than 20 instances, with alleged deliveries ranging from P20 million to P50 million and involving locations in Metro Manila, Davao and other areas.
The Philippine National Police previously confirmed that Gracioso had been detailed as a security officer or staff member of Velasco, although the exact period of his assignment was not immediately provided.
Duterte, however, has repeatedly denied knowing Gracioso and receiving money from him.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier said the bureau would validate Gracioso’s allegations and authenticate photographs and other evidence submitted in support of his claims.
Matibag also said Gracioso could face perjury if his allegations are found to be untrue, while stressing that the NBI must first investigate the claims and evaluate the evidence.
The NBI previously said Gracioso passed a lie detector test only on matters concerning his identity and relationships with the people he mentioned—not on the substantive allegations in his affidavit.
Duterte said she expects the NBI to file a case against Gracioso once its investigation is completed and the evidence has been fully evaluated.
Meanwhile, Velasco’s lawyer Rowell Ilagan said Monday that the former speaker’s camp would answer the allegations “at the proper time” after reviewing Gracioso’s affidavit.
Ilagan said they had only formally received a copy of the affidavit on October 5.
