Pharmally bosses helped bankroll Duterte campaign, says ex-bagman
MANILA, Philippines — Executives tied to the controversial Pharmally Pharmaceuticals allegedly bankrolled the would-be presidential campaign of Vice President Sara Duterte in 2022, according to alleged Duterte bagman Ramil Madriaga on Tuesday, April 14.
During the House justice panel’s impeachment hearing, Madriaga said he was instructed by former president Rodrigo Duterte to create a campaign group for Sara Duterte. The group was nicknamed “Inday Sara Is My President” or ISIP.
During the campaign season, Rodrigo Duterte told Madriaga that his friends and supporters would fund the campaign.
One of these friends was Lin Wei Xiong, one of the executives of Pharmally — which is believed to be a front to launder COVID-19 funds during Rodrigo Duterte’s term.
Madriaga said that P175 million was received from Lin Wei Xiong to fund ISIP’s funds.
“As I recall, the money was placed inside several large backpacks and bags which were handed to me at the basement parking of Seda Hotel, Quezon City, and I loaded the same to my White Toyota Land Cruiser. Lin Wei Xiong was present when I received the said amount together with two other individuals. He then asked me ‘where will the money be used?’. I informed him that this will be used to fund the election of Sara to which he replied, ‘good, good’,” Madriaga read from his affidavit.
The money that Madriaga received from Lin was allegedly used in Sara Duterte’s 2022 presidential campaign across the country.
When the initial funding for ISIP ran out, Rodrigo Duterte allegedly told Madriaga to get more money from Maestrado Lim. The funds paid for merchandise, travel and accommodations.
Rodrigo Duterte would check in every now and then to see if there were still enough funds for ISIP.
Once funding ran out, the former president instructed Madriaga to get another P100 million from a “Maestrado Lim” — an alias of Tony Yang or Yang Jianxin.
Tony Yang is the brother of Phramally exec Michael Yang. In a Senate hearing, Yang Jianxin has admitted to faking his Philippine citizenship to do business in the country.
“I distinctly remember Maestrado Lim because he previously mentioned, during one of our meetings in Davao City, that he hated Filipinos in general, and Filipino businessmen in particular, stating that ‘peste yung mga Filipino, yung mga businessman, walang kwenta’ Filipinos are a pest, their businessmen are useless),” Madriaga said.
Madriaga said that Michael Yang had also provided funding for ISIP.
However, Madriaga and other members of ISIP were eventually informed that Sara Duterte was no longer running for president, but as now-President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vice president.
He reiterated earlier allegations that Sara Duterte and Marcos have an agreement that the latter would voluntarily step down from power by 2025 to allow the former to assume the presidency, while allowing her to run for president in 2028.
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