The tension is rising… and the cracks are starting to show.
The former head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) has come forward—and he’s not holding back.
Colonel Raymund Dante Lachica has sharply criticized the claims of Ramil Madriaga, a man who introduced himself as a former “bagman” for Vice President Sara Duterte. According to Lachica, the allegations don’t just raise questions… they fall apart under scrutiny.
He describes them as deeply inconsistent—“glaring,” even.
Madriaga recently took center stage at the House Committee on Justice, testifying in the ongoing impeachment hearings against Duterte. But instead of strengthening his case, Lachica says the testimony only exposed contradictions.
Three different versions.
That’s what Lachica points to—Madriaga’s original affidavit, a supplemental one, and now his sworn testimony. Each telling a slightly different story.
And that, he says, is the problem.
“This is no longer about allegations—this is about consistency,” Lachica stressed. “And the inconsistencies are glaring.”
It’s a powerful statement… one that shifts the focus from accusations to credibility.
Because in cases like this, words alone aren’t enough.
Lachica emphasized that testimony—no matter how dramatic—does not equal proof. Real evidence, he insists, must be backed by documents, records, and independent verification.
“The developments do not validate the allegations,” he added. “They raise the burden to prove them.”
In the end, he says, truth isn’t decided by repetition.
It’s decided by evidence… by consistency… and by facts that hold up under pressure.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Madriaga’s camp is pushing back.
His lawyer, Atty. Raymond Palad, is now calling on Lachica to step out of the shadows and face the issue head-on. He’s urging the former VPSPG chief to appear at the next House hearing on April 22, 2026—and speak under oath.
Not through statements.
Not through press releases.
But in the same room where the accusations are being examined.
Palad didn’t mince words.
He challenged Lachica to explain how funds tied to alleged confidential operations were handled… and to shed light on supposed “fictional” recipients of those funds.
More than that, Palad said Lachica could use the hearing to counter findings from both the Commission on Audit (COA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)—if he truly has the evidence to back his claims.
For now, Lachica says he’s prepared to address everything… but in the proper legal forum.
Meanwhile, the accusations themselves remain explosive.
Madriaga claims that drug dealers and Philippine offshore gaming operators—better known as POGOs—funded a campaign tied to Duterte: “Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP) Pilipinas.”
Even more shocking, he alleges he was ordered to deliver massive sums of cash—four duffel bags, each containing up to ₱35 million—to various individuals.
These claims, detailed in a notarized affidavit submitted to the Ombudsman in December 2025, have since become part of the evidence behind two impeachment complaints filed this year.
Complaints that the House justice panel has already deemed “sufficient in substance.”
But both Lachica and Duterte are standing firm.
Lachica has outright denied any connection to illegal funds, calling the accusations “completely baseless.”
Duterte, for her part, has repeatedly rejected any personal link to Madriaga—suggesting that his actions may be driven by desperation… possibly tied to his current detention.
Now, all eyes turn to the next hearing.
Because in a battle of claims, counterclaims, and contradictions…
Only one thing will matter in the end.
The truth.
