A former head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) has denied allegations linking him to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) and illegal drug money, calling the claims baseless.
In a statement, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica rejected assertions made by lawyer Raymund Palad on behalf of Ramil Madriaga.
Madriaga, who claims to be a former aide of Vice President Sara Duterte, alleged in a notarized affidavit in November 2025 that he delivered large sums of money to certain individuals on Duterte’s orders. Lachica was among those named.
“The accusations linking my name to supposed ‘POGO money,’ ‘drug money,’ and other alleged irregularities are completely baseless,” Lachica said, noting the claims were repeated publicly “without credible evidence.”
Lachica, who was reassigned from his VPSPG command to the Philippine Army in October 2025, said he filed cyber libel complaints against Madriaga and Palad in early January.
“Serious accusations of criminal conduct should be handled with responsibility and restraint. This kind of trial by publicity undermines fairness and damages reputations without due process,” he said.
“Members of the legal profession carry an important responsibility to ensure that public discourse surrounding legal matters remains grounded in facts and integrity,” he added.
Lachica said he is confident the legal process “will ultimately reveal the truth,” and urged all parties to “respect the ongoing legal proceedings and refrain from further attempts to litigate this issue in the court of public opinion.”
