MANILA (October 2) — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has called former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, his wife Rowena, Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte to respond to separate allegations contained in the sworn statement of former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.
The four were asked to appear before the NBI in Pasay City at 10 a.m. on Oct. 5 as investigators verify Gracioso’s claims of cash deliveries allegedly involving members of the Duterte family.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag stressed that the appearances are invitations, not subpoenas, and are part of the bureau’s fact-finding investigation.
The four personalities are linked to the affidavit in different ways.
Gracioso identified himself as a former security aide to Velasco and alleged that the former speaker instructed him to deliver cash to several personalities.
He identified Vice President Sara Duterte as an alleged recipient of more than P2 billion in cash delivered through more than 20 transactions. Gracioso also alleged that he delivered money to Rep. Paolo Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Rowena Velasco, the former speaker’s wife, was also mentioned in Gracioso’s account, prompting the NBI to seek her side as investigators check the allegations involving the Velasco household.
Claims still being checked
The allegations have not been independently established.
Vice President Duterte has denied knowing Gracioso and receiving money from him. Her lawyers are awaiting an official copy of the affidavit, she said, to determine what legal action to take.
Velasco’s camp has likewise rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and fabricated.
The NBI has said Gracioso submitted photos and videos that investigators are examining for authentication and verification. He has also undergone lie-detector testing, but Matibag clarified that an earlier test covered only questions about Gracioso’s identity and relationships with the people he named—not the truth of the cash-delivery allegations themselves.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the Department of Justice is evaluating Gracioso’s affidavit and will consider the totality of the circumstances, including his credibility and possible motivations.
Vida said investigators must determine whether the claims are supported by evidence that can withstand judicial scrutiny and cross-examination.
NBI seeks both sides
Matibag said the NBI’s invitations are intended to allow people named in the affidavit to provide their accounts and submit relevant documents.
The bureau has also invited Gracioso and the people who assisted him to provide statements as investigators work to establish what actually happened.
The investigation remains at the fact-finding stage, with no finding yet that the alleged cash transfers occurred or that any of the personalities invited by the NBI committed an offense.
The Oct. 5 conferences are expected to give investigators another opportunity to test Gracioso’s account against the responses, documents and other evidence available to the bureau.
