Prosecution: How did VP Duterte’s declared wealth rise by P33.35M?

MANILA, Philippines — House prosecutors will trace the source of the P33.35-million increase in Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared net worth from 2021 to 2025, prosecution counsel and spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said in a press conference at Tuesday’s impeachment trial proceedings.

Then, he added, the prosecutors will find out whether the amount can be accounted for by legitimate income reflected in her tax records with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other financial documents.

An increase in wealth is not by itself improper, Tolosa stressed. But public officials must be able to show where it came from.

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READ: Unexplained wealth case will look for VP Duterte’s ‘receipts’

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According to a prosecution statement, Duterte reported a net worth of P65.31 million in her 2021 statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) — her last full year before becoming vice president in 2022.

By the end of 2025, her declared net worth had reached P98.66 million, an increase of about P33.35 million.

According to Tolosa, the prosecutors would also consider whether any other sources of income were permissible given the restrictions applicable to Duterte as vice president.

READ: Ridon: Foreign trips are key to checking unexplained wealth

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The P33.35-million increase forms part of a longer rise in Duterte’s declared net worth documented in SALNs presented Tuesday by lawyer Karen Batu of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Duterte declared P7.25 million in net worth in 2007, when she entered public office as Davao City vice mayor. By 2025, the figure had reached P98.66 million, an increase of about P91.4 million. /atm