Sara Duterte denies Gracioso’s claims, says he’s motivated by money

DENIAL. Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference on Tuesday, October 6, to deny the allegations of former cop Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. that she allegedly received millions of money.

Sara Duterte/ Facebook

'Ayon sa mga pahayag ni Gracioso, malinaw ang dalawang bagay. Ang motibo niya ay sama ng loob sa mga Velasco at pera,' Duterte says

AT A GLANCE

• Vice President Sara Duterte denied allegations made by former cop Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. that she received millions of pesos in bribes during her time as mayor of Davao City.
• Duterte claimed Gracioso's motives were driven by personal grievances and financial gain, and she presented evidence to dispute his claims, including conversations with former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
• Gracioso's allegations included accusations of money deliveries and connections to other political figures, which Duterte refuted, emphasizing that she should not be implicated in their personal disputes.

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MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, October 6, denied the claims of former cop Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. that she allegedly received millions of pesos stuffed in suitcases and cars.

“Sa tingin ko naman wala siyang galit sa akin… Motivated siya by money (I don’t think he has any personal anger toward me. He’s simply motivated by money),” the Vice President said during her press conference in Davao City.

In his eight-page affidavit, Gracioso alleged that he delivered millions of pesos to the Vice President when she was still the mayor of Davao City. The former cop alleged that there were similar incidents like this, almost 10 times, from 2018 to 2020. 

Gracioso alleged that the money came from Duterte ally, former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

He also claimed that he gave Royce chocolates to the Vice President several times, while former Davao City information officer Jefry Tupas allegedly received the money on Duterte’s behalf.

Tupas has denied Gracioso’s claim in an affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation.

“My affidavit itself is strong enough to crush the untruths he shamelessly told, which were presented in a manner that insults basic human intelligence. Gracioso, brazen in his lies but weak in his ability to deceive, is an embarrassment to the institutions he claims to represent with pride — the Philippine National Police and the Philippine p,” Tupas said.

During the presser, Duterte shared screenshots of her recent conversation with Velasco, where the latter confirmed that Gracioso used to work for him as a security detail. The Philippine National Police has confirmed earlier that Gracioso used to be a cop and was previously assigned to Velasco.

In the conversation, Velasco said Gracioso handled the campaign for their party-list, Ang Pusong Pinoy, in Samar. He was given money for the campaign and promised to give 100,000 votes, but only delivered 4,000, said Velasco.

“Tapos humingi ng tulong pampaospital at panggamot. Ang alam ko, Ma’am, sabi ni Wen (wife), in-ask sa’ng hospital at mga reseta at sagutin namin lahat. Umayaw po ma’am at gusto padalhan siya ng pera,” the former speaker said.

(Then he asked for help with hospitalization and medication. From what I understand, Wen said, we asked for the hospital details and the prescription so we could pay for everything. But he refused and asked for money instead.)

For Duterte, she should not be caught in the middle of the conflict between Velasco and his former security detail.

“Ano man ang naging problema o hindi pagkakaunawaan nina Lord at Gracioso, hindi dapat ako idadamay sa kanilang personal na alitan sa pera. Hindi dapat gamitin ang aking pangalan sa paghihiganti, sa mga kasinungalingan, at pagpapalakas ng walang ebidensya na impeachment complaint, at sa paninira sa politika,” said the Vice President.

(Whatever happened between Lord and Gracioso, I should not be caught in the middle of their personal dispute over money. My name should not be used for revenge, lies, to bolster the evidence in my impeachment complaint, or for political attacks.)

“Ayon sa mga pahayag ni Gracioso, malinaw ang dalawang bagay. Ang motibo niya ay sama ng loob sa mga Velasco at pera,” she added.

(Based on Gracioso’s statements, two things are clear. His motive is personal anger toward the Velascos and money.)

Duterte presented photos with her family – with time codes – to dispute the dates mentioned by Gracioso in his affidavit.

The Vice President also denied personally knowing former House appropriations chairperson Zaldy Co, who’s now a fugitive due to his flood control-related cases.

In the affidavit, Gracioso alleged that before the May 2019 elections, Velasco told them to pack money into about 20 balikbayan boxes and suitcases, which they delivered along with boxes of cigarettes and noodles. He alleged the money came from Co.

“Hindi ko personal na kilala si Zaldy [Co] at hindi ko siya kaibigan (I personally do not know Zaldy Co and I’m not his friend),” said Duterte. – Rappler.com