Tanya Gaisano Lee, a Davao-based artist, denies Ramil Madriaga's assertion that he gifted a painting to Vice President Sara Duterte, stating she personally presented the artwork to her.
A reported dispute has emerged involving a painting allegedly gifted to Vice President Sara Duterte. Ramil Madriaga, identified as a former aide and bagman of Duterte, claimed during a House Committee on Justice hearing that he gifted a painting, created by a student he supported in Laguna, to the vice president. Madriaga presented photographic evidence including a screenshot of a video conference where the painting appeared in the background, asserting his connection to the artwork.
Contradicting Madriaga’s assertion, Tanya Gaisano Lee, an artist based in Davao, publicly stated via her Instagram story that she personally gave the painting to VP Sara in 2021 when Duterte was mayor of Davao City. Lee emphasized that she is not a scholar nor from Laguna, but from Davao, directly refuting claims about the artwork’s origin. The painting in question also appeared in a 2021 Facebook post by Duterte.
GMA News has reached out to Madriaga’s representatives for further comments. This dispute unfolds amid scrutiny related to VP Sara Duterte, highlighting differing accounts about the provenance of the painting.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/984060/davao-based-artist-disputes-madriaga-claim-on-painting-given-to-vp-sara/story/
