Vice President Sara Z. Duterte released a statement on September 26, 2026, denying allegations raised by Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., a former security aide to ex-House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. In an affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Gracioso alleged that he personally delivered more than ₱2 billion in cash to Duterte across more than 20 transactions between 2018 and 2022, allegedly acting on Velasco's instructions. Duterte, in her statement, said: "I do not know Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., nor have I ever received any money from him."
Duterte said her legal team is awaiting an official copy of the Gracioso affidavit from the NBI before preparing cases against him. She also referenced a pending perjury complaint she filed in March against Ramil Madriaga — another self-confessed former aide whose affidavit forms part of the impeachment complaints against her — saying Gracioso's claims would similarly be discredited "once we are done dismantling the lies." She described the Gracioso allegations as "another media stunt," allegedly meant to revive what she called a weakening impeachment case against her.
In the same statement, Duterte accused the Marcos administration of pushing for Charter Change and working to delay the 2028 elections, calling these alleged efforts "increasingly diabolical." She did not present evidence to support these accusations, so they remain her own characterization of events. She also renewed her call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to undergo a public drug test and to answer questions on the flood control scandal, closing her statement with "Shukran" (thank you).
The NBI has confirmed it is investigating Gracioso's claims, which include allegations of suitcase cash deliveries and vehicles allegedly turned over to Duterte while she was Davao City mayor. As of this writing, no formal charges tied to the Gracioso affidavit have been filed against Duterte, and both his allegations and her countercharges remain unresolved and should be treated as claims from each side, not established fact.
Source: Official statement from Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, Office of the Vice President, September 26, 2026,