In a statement released by the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Duterte’s legal counsel, Salvador Paolo A. Panelo Jr., said the complaint stemmed from Madriaga’s Supplemental Affidavit dated April 11, 2026.

Panelo said the complaint consists of approximately 1,000 pages and includes Duterte’s sworn testimony, statements from 12 corroborating witnesses, government documents and other official records, certifications, as well as contemporaneous messages, photographs, and public records.

“This exhaustive effort was technically unnecessary given the absurd and unverifiable nature of Madriaga’s claims, and the fact that the details and limited ‘evidence’ he supplied immediately and publicly collapsed under the slightest scrutiny,” Panelo said.

Duterte’s legal team said the evidence was presented to establish what it described as the “malicious and deliberate falsehoods” contained in Madriaga’s affidavit.

According to Panelo, the extensive documentation was intended to ensure that Madriaga would be held accountable under the law and to challenge his allegations against the Vice President.

He also described Madriaga’s claims as “malicious, baseless, and desperate,” linking them to what Duterte’s camp characterized as an effort to undermine the Vice President amid the impeachment proceedings.

“However, it had to be done to ensure that Madriaga is held accountable under the law, and to unmask the malicious, baseless, and desperate character of the impeachment effort against the Vice President and of those behind it,” Panelo said.

The filing marks Duterte’s second perjury complaint against Madriaga.

The complaint will now undergo evaluation by the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether there is sufficient basis to proceed with the complaint.