DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 14 April) — Davao-based artist Tanya Gaisano Lee has disputed claims made during a hearing Tuesday of the House Committee on Justice on the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, clarifying that she personally gifted the painting in question in 2021.
“I gifted this painting to VP Sara when she was a Mayor of Davao City in 2021. Anything stated otherwise is FALSE,” Lee wrote in an Instagram story posted Tuesday, April 14, showing the photo of the painting titled Señorita. She also clarified that she is neither a scholar nor from Laguna, addressing descriptions that had circulated alongside the claim.
During the hearing, Ramil Madriaga, identified as a key witness in the impeachment proceedings – claimed he gave the painting to Duterte. “Nagregalo po ako sa kanya ng isang painting niya na ginawa po ng isang scholar ko sa Laguna” (I gifted her a painting done by my scholar in Laguna), he said.
The painting served as Duterte’s backdrop during a Zoom meeting with ISIP (Inday Sara Is my President) Pilipinas, where Madriaga was one of the officials. Photos of the Zoom meeting were among those attached to Madriaga’s affidavit to prove that Duterte knows Madriaga.
Madriaga said he has scholars in Laguna and one of them was a very talented fine arts student. “Pinagawa ko po ang painting na yan. Tapos kinuha po ng Presidential Security Group sa bahay sa Laguna. Ito po yan. Dalawa po yan. Yung isa po na sa bahay ko sa Laguna” (I commissioned the painting. The Presidential Security Group fetched that painting from my house in Laguna. That’s the one. There are two of them. The other one is in my house in Laguna), he said.
Lee’s statement directly contradicts Madriaga’s account.
Madriaga has emerged as a central figure in the impeachment case, presenting himself as a former aide and alleged “bagman” who handled and delivered funds linked to the Office of the Vice President. His claims, which include accounts of transporting large sums of money and participating in political operations, are currently under review by the House Committee on Justice as part of its proceedings.
However, his credibility has been challenged. Madriaga is currently detained in connection with a kidnapping-for-ransom case and has been in custody since 2023.
The Duterte camp has denied that he was ever officially connected to the Vice President’s offices, citing certifications from multiple government agencies. Despite this, the House panel has continued to treat him as a key witness, placing him under heightened scrutiny during the ceremony.
Against this backdrop, Lee’s clarification introduces another layer of verification.
A 2021 Facebook post from Duterte offers earlier context on the artwork. In the August 16, 2021 post, she described the painting as the work of a “Dabawenya artist,” noting that the artist’s pieces often feature faceless figures. The post, which shows Duterte posing beside the painting, predates the current controversy and suggests the artwork had already been in her possession at the time.
The painting’s distinctive style — a faceless subject rendered in patterned clothing against a gold-toned backdrop — also prompted varied interpretations from the public.
Available details from the artist’s earlier posts provide a clearer timeline of the Señorita painting, a 3-by-3-foot mixed media piece completed in 2020. Lee has stated that the artwork was gifted to Duterte the following year, when the latter was still serving as mayor of Davao City.
MindaNews reached out to the artist but Lee has not responded as of 9 p.m. Tuesday. (Bea Gatmaytan / MindaNews)
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