Sara Duterte not a signatory to P41-M manager’s checks – BPI docs

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte is not a signatory to the purchase of P41 million worth of manager’s checks using a joint account she shares with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, as shown in documents issued by the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

Senate Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis Escudero made the confirmation during the defense’s cross-examination of BPI Central Metro Manila Branches Division Head Marwin Galvez.

“Vice President Sara Duterte’s signature does not appear in any of the transaction documents, such as the opening and closing of the time deposit and the purchase of manager’s checks,” Escudero said.

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Earlier, Galvez testified that a time deposit under the name “Rodrigo Duterte or Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Z. Duterte” was opened using P40,650,000 on January 22, 2010.

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It matured into P41,721,035.42 after 12 rollovers and was later used to purchase manager’s checks through a BPI account ending in 9539.

The same P41 million was repeatedly maintained in manager’s checks until 2013, thereby not appearing in the vice president’s year-end balances.

Private prosecutor James Bryan Ibrahim Alih characterized the funds as “floating,” but the defense asserted that Vice President Duterte did not have primary control over the account.

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Defense counsel Michael Poa asked Galvez if Vice President Duterte herself had repeatedly signed off on the purchases of manager’s checks, noting that her signature was not required for such transactions to go through.

But when Galvez said he would have to review the documents first, Escudero asked the court to cull the information instead to expedite the process.

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Later, Escudero announced that the documents did not show Duterte’s signature in any of the transactions relating to the time deposit and the purchase of manager’s checks. /mcm