Vice President Sara Duterte defended her academic record and rejected allegations raised during a House Committee on Justice hearing linked to impeachment complaints, while questioning the credibility of testimony presented against her.
The claims were made by Ramil Madriaga, identified in the proceedings as a key witness and described in reports as her alleged “bagman.” In a supplemental affidavit read during the hearing, Madriaga alleged Duterte struggled in law school and received assistance from a former professor and associate dean to obtain passing grades at San Sebastian College-Recoletos College of Law.
Duterte denied the allegations and cited her academic record. “I completed my studies on my own terms,” she said, adding that she “never asked any professor for special accommodation” and had not faced complaints during law school. She also pointed to her Bar examination results, saying she passed on her first attempt with a general weighted average of 80, above the minimum passing mark.
She further questioned the credibility of the testimony, describing Madriaga as a “bar flunker and kidnapping suspect,” and criticized the proceedings as a “mini trial.” Duterte said the conduct of some lawmakers reflected broader issues. “This mini-trial… is true to form for some of its members: abuse and corruption appear to be the only things they are capable of,” she said.
Madriaga’s lawyer, Raymund Palad, responded by calling Duterte’s remarks insulting to those who did not pass the Bar and urged her to address the allegations directly. “Accountability is not performed behind a computer keyboard. It requires courage,” he said.
The exchange highlights ongoing disputes over credibility and testimony as impeachment proceedings continue.
