Prosecutors trace Sara Duterte’s ₱98.6-M wealth, may call VP to testify

MANILA, Philippines — House prosecutors are examining whether Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s declared net worth of roughly ₱98.6 million at the end of 2025 aligns with her legitimate income and financial records, and may call her to testify before the Senate impeachment court to address potential discrepancies.

Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, prosecution legal spokesperson and counsel Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. said prosecutors intend to give the Vice President an opportunity to clarify her financial declarations.

“We have an intention after this to call her as a witness to give her an opportunity to explain,” Tolosa said.

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READ: Senate has ‘sole power’ to decide VP Duterte impeachment case – amici curiae

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The inquiry forms part of the prosecution’s case under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which alleges unexplained wealth, inaccurate wealth declarations, and a failure to divest from business interests while serving in office.

According to Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) provided by the Office of the Ombudsman, her declared net worth grew from ₱7.25 million in 2007—when she first took public office as Davao City vice mayor—to ₱98.66 million in 2025.

Senate President and Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero previously ruled that records preceding Duterte’s assumption of the vice presidency in 2022 can only be utilized to establish a financial baseline, rather than to serve as grounds for independent impeachable offenses.

Using this baseline, prosecutors are evaluating whether the growth of her wealth during her current term matches her lawful salary, tax returns, bank transactions, and commercial holdings.

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Testimony from an Ombudsman official highlighted that while Duterte previously declared cash on hand or in banks, she listed no cash assets from 2019 through 2025. The witness further noted that several SALNs cited business interests without listing acquisition costs or corresponding stock shares.

To verify these disclosures, prosecutors are analyzing independent tax, corporate, and financial records. This includes Anti-Money Laundering Council data covering ₱6.77 billion in aggregate covered and suspicious transactions associated with Duterte and her husband, attorney Manases Carpio, between 2006 and 2025.

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Of the cumulative transaction volume—which reflects gross financial movements over nearly two decades rather than total net worth—₱3.77 billion was tied to Duterte and ₱2.99 billion to Carpio.

Tolosa noted that while official custodians and bank representatives can authenticate the documentary evidence without the vice president’s presence, calling her to the witness stand remains an option after the prosecution concludes its presentation.

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“The final decision on that would be made after we present all of our evidence,” Tolosa said.