Sara Duterte impeachment trial Day 25: SALNs show no cash or stock shares in multiple years

Vice President Sara Duterte’s declarations in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) took the spotlight on Day 25 of her impeachment trial.

This developed after the prosecution panel presented Ombudsman Records Division officer-in-charge Karen Batu to testify on the contents of the SALNs that the Vice President submitted in her years as a public official from 2007 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2025.

Batu said that the Vice President did not declare shares of stock in her SALNs in 2007, 2008 to 2013 and 2016 to 2025, although she declared that she and her husband, Manases Carpio, were either incorporators or stockholders in various businesses in the same years.

The businesses include:

• Sgt. Fortune Horse Corp.
• 3Kids Inc. Trucking Services Inc.
• Davao Bounty Times Food Corp.
• Davao Emerging Taipan Corp.
• Davao New Royal Taipan Corp., allegedly retired and formerly Davao Emerging Taipans Corp.
• Timesquare Bee Foods Corp., formerly Great Jolly Times Foods Corp.
• Gencorp Industries Inc., formerly Timesquare Bee Foods Corp.
• City Hall King Chow Foods Corp.
• Metro City Chow Foods Corp., allegedly formerly known as City Hall King Chow Foods Corp.
• Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc.
• Cykt Inc.
• Zelta Matiem Salon, under Carpio
• Carpio Lawyers
• 888 Bistro
• Cale88 Foods Corp.
• Madayaw Fisheries Corp.
• Mati City Ice Plant and Cold Storage Inc.
• Amianan Shores Inc.
• Geometry Security and Investigation Agency Inc.
• Cabletow 88 Shipping and Marine Services Inc.

Private prosecutor James Alih said the Vice President should have declared her shares of stock in her SALN for personal properties, which provides for an acquisition cost column to determine the value of each listed personal property.

Senator-judge Sherwin Gatchalian also raised the possibility that the Vice President’s net worth was underdeclared, noting that she did not indicate the value of her shares of stock in various businesses.

Batu, a lawyer, also said that the Vice President did not declare any cash on hand and in bank from 2019 to 2025.

Batu also testified that the Vice President did not file an exit SALN as required for government officials when her first term as Davao City mayor ended on June 30, 2013.

Duterte was not a public official from 2013 to 2016, but she was again elected as Davao City mayor in 2016 and 2019 before being elected Vice President in 2022.

This prompted senator Judge Lito Lapid to ask Batu if politicians or government workers really tell the whole truth in their SALNs.

“Meron po kasi akong napanood na isang abogado na in-interview sa TV. Ang sabi niya, ewan ko lang po kung tama ito, walang politiko o magsa-submit ng SALN na nagtatrabaho sa gobyerno na totoo. Ang sabi niya, isang kalokohan ‘yan kung magsasabi sila ng totoo. Tama po ba ’yun?” Lapid asked.

(I saw a lawyer being interviewed on TV. I don't know if this is true, but he said there is no politician or government employee who submits a truthful SALN. He said it would be foolish for them to tell the truth. Is that correct?)

Batu chuckled before replying, “Kami po, ako po, nagsa-submit po ako ng totoong SALN ko, Your Honor.” (I myself submit a truthful SALN, Your Honor.)

Later in the day, the prosecution panel said that the Vice President’s zero declaration of cash and shares of stock, as well as her increased wealth, raises questions as to whether these will match her legitimate sources of income and income tax filings.

The defense team, in response, said it has strategies to explain the movement of figures in her SALN.

"We have a strategy on that matter, actually. Obviously, without disclosing the specifics, I will also not deny na siyempre napag-isipan na ng depensa kung paano natin gagawin 'yan," defense team spokesperson Michael Poa said.

(We actually have a strategy on that matter. Obviously, without disclosing the specifics, I will also not deny that the defense has naturally thought about how we will handle that.)

Before the trial ended, the impeachment court issued a modified order for Gerardo del Rosario, Company Registration and Monitoring Department (CRMD) Director of the state-run Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to testify before the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte on September 21st and 22nd.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero reissued the subpoena upon the request of House prosecutor Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro party-list, citing voluminous documents involved.

In addition, the court encouraged the public to submit questions for the retired Supreme Court justices who will appear as amici curiae (friends of the court) to help resolve questions on the voting threshold for convicting Duterte.

In a press conference, court spokesperson lawyer Regie Tongol said the public may submit questions through the Senate of the Philippines’ official Facebook page.

The Senate impeachment court will hear the amici curiae on Wednesday, September 16.

Under the Constitution, the Senate has the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members of the Senate.

There are 24 senators, meaning a two-thirds majority requires 16 votes.

At least four of the 24 senators, however, have not been able to participate in the impeachment trial proceedings for quite a while now.

Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are detained on plunder and other related charges due to their alleged involvement in flood control and undeclared campaign donations, respectively.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa is nowhere to be found amid a standing warrant of arrest issued against him by the International Criminal Court due to his alleged involvement in the drug war deaths.

Senator Loren Legarda is on an extended medical leave abroad due to a lung ailment. —LDF, GMA News