Ridon: Foreign trips are key to checking unexplained wealth

MANILA, Philippines — A key takeaway from the testimony of former Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang before the Senate Impeachment Court is that foreign trips are among the things to consider in checking if a public official has unexplained wealth, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said on Monday.

In an ambush interview during a break in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday, Ridon told reporters that contrary to the defense’s position that nothing can be obtained from the testimony from someone not knowledgeable of the facts of the case, Cabotaje-Tang was able to remind them that there are different ways to check for unexplained wealth.

Ridon, a member of the public prosecution team and co-team leader for Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, said this testimony gave them the resolve to consider bringing up Duterte’s frequent trips abroad.

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“May mga natutunan din ho tayo ngayong araw na ito mula doon sa presentasyon ni former presiding justice Cabotaje-Tang: una, ’yon pong provision po on unexplained wealth ay nakalagay pala doon ’yong usapin ng foreign travels ng isa pong public official,” he said.

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(We learned something today from the presentation of former presiding justice Cabotaje-Tang: first, that the provision on unexplained wealth also includes, in possible discussions, foreign travels made by a public official.)

READ: Ridon cites disconnect between Duterte’s SALN, expenses for foreign trips

“Kaya binabanggit na po natin ngayong araw na ito, on the table na po na silipin nang makita ’yon pong foreign travels na non-official ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo. So, for context, mayroon pong 91 days ang atin pong Pangalawang Pangulo out of the country in the last two years, so, I think this is around 19 foreign trips na non-official in character,” he added.

(That’s why we are mentioning today: checking on the non-official foreign travels of our Vice President is now on the table. So, for context, there are 91 days during which the Vice President has been out of the country in the last two years, so, I think this is around 19 foreign trips that were non-official in character.)

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According to Ridon, the expenses incurred by Duterte for her trips would have to be reconciled with her annual salary as Vice President and her net worth according to her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

Out of the country for 91 days

Ridon said last August 3 that with Duterte being out of the country for 91 days from 2025 to present, she would have needed a budget of P5 million to P8 million, based on the United Nations’ daily subsistence allowance standards. In contrast, the lawmaker noted that Duterte’s annual salary is around P4.2 million, and her 2024 SALN showed a net worth of P88.5 million.

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READ: Witness explains ‘unexplained, hidden’ wealth in Sara Duterte trial

“Kailangan po itong pagbanggain doon po sa lehitimong kita ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo, bilang Pangalawang Pangulo. So, mga magkano po ’yon, P4.2 million. At ibabangga rin po ito doon sa declared net worth sa mga SALN, so around P88.5 million doon po sa 2024 at mas mataas ng around P10 million para sa 2025,” he said.

(We need to bump this with the legitimate earnings of the Vice President as the vice president. So, how much is that, that’s P4.2 million. And this will also be considered with the declared net worth inside the SALNs, so around P88.5 million in 2024 and higher by around P10 million for 2025.)

“So, pag-iisipan po ng unexplained wealth team kung paano po ito maisasama doon sa kabuuang balangkas na evidence presentation, pero katulad ng nakita po natin doon sa provision on unexplained wealth sa R.A. No. 3019, relevant material ‘yon pong foreign trips na non-official, ng isang public official,” he added.

(So, the unexplained wealth team will think of ways to include this in the overall presentation of evidence, but like we saw in the provision on unexplained wealth under R.A. No. 3019, non-official foreign trips of a public official are relevant material.)

Ridon was referring to the co-team leader and Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno’s direct examination of Cabotaje-Tang during Monday’s trial, where he asked the former Sandiganbayan official about the different terms used—like the meaning of hidden wealth, unexplained wealth, and ill-gotten wealth.

When asked how investigators can check if a public official has unexplained wealth, Cabotaje-Tang pointed to an official’s lifestyle.

“It’s the lifestyle, income tax returns […] Even the properties and assets of the spouse, and the children under 18 years of age,” she said.

Ridon was also pointing to Cabotaje-Tang’s explanation of Section 8 of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Under the said provision, among the things that constitute prima facie evidence is “ostentatious display of wealth including frequent travel abroad of a non-official character by any public official when such activities entail expenses evidently out of proportion to legitimate income.”

Ridon has called out Duterte over a supposed disconnect between Vice President Sara Duterte’s ability to frequently travel abroad and her financial capability as declared in her SALN.

Also, the lawmaker questioned how Duterte was able to spend on her trips considering that she did not declare any cash on hand.

READ: Sara Duterte declared no cash, bank deposits since 2019 in SALNs

The prosecution panel is now presenting Article II, which deals with allegations that Duterte has unexplained wealth that was not declared in her SALN.

During the congressional hearings on the two impeachment complaints against Duterte, it was Ridon who focused on the alleged issues with her SALN.

READ: Docs show VP Duterte’s net worth rose over 1,000% – Ridon

Ridon said last April that there was an increase in the Vice President’s net worth that is not proportionate to her salary, noting that her net worth rose by over 1,000 percent from 2008 to 2024.

Ridon explained that Duterte’s SALN in 2008 showed a net worth of P18.49 million, while her net worth in her 2023 SALN grew to P77.50 million and P88.51 million for 2024—representing a 378 percent increase from 2008 to 2024.

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However, the lawmaker noted that if figures were based on Duterte’s 2007 SALN—the first year that she became a public official—the jump from a net worth of P7.2 million to 2024’s P88.51 million represents a 1,120 percent spike. /cb