VP camp dismisses fresh cash suitcase claims as another ‘tanim witness’

MANILA, Philippines —  The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday dismissed as “another tanim witness” the allegations of a man identified only by the alias “Chris” that he had twice delivered suitcases of money to the vice president.

In a statement, Duterte spokesperson Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. denied the allegations and said that the vice president would dispute the claims with evidence at the proper time.

READ: Velasco’s ‘ex-driver’ tells NBI: I delivered cash suitcases to Duterte

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“Another day, another tanim witness. They can keep manufacturing allegations, but they cannot fabricate the truth. As before, VP Sara will happily dismantle each allegation with evidence at the proper time,” Panelo said.

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He also challenged media organizations to independently verify the allegations, saying the Fourth Estate was “being weaponized for the relentless, but ultimately ineffective, black propaganda against the vice president.”

The statement came a day after the alleged former driver of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation and claimed that he had transported suitcases of money to Duterte in Davao from 2021 to 2022 on Velasco’s instructions.

Alias “Chris” is the second person to claim that he had delivered suitcases of money to the Duterte.

READ: Palace says talks of Sara Duterte replacement ‘too premature’

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He said his first trip to Davao was on June 16, 2021, when he drove a van carrying around 15 suitcases, but added that he did not know how much money the suitcases contained and did not personally see their contents.

“Na-confirm ko po yun na para kay Ma’am Sara Duterte noong sa head namin, na sabi sa akin na ide-deliver namin yung munting regalo kay Sara Duterte,” he told reporters in a chance interview.

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(I confirmed that it was for Ma’am Sara Duterte when our head driver told me that we would deliver the little gift to Sara Duterte.)

However, he said he did not witness Duterte receiving the suitcases. His second alleged delivery, also involving around 15 suitcases, took place in Davao in 2022.

Earlier, police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. claimed he had delivered more than P2 billion to Duterte, P1 billion to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and P100 million to Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Duterte.