VP Trial Day 24: Court to tackle alleged unexplained wealth

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate impeachment court on Monday is set to open the presentation of exhibits for impeachment article II, or Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged betrayal of public trust for amassing unexplained wealth disproportionate to her lawful income.

Under article II, the House prosecution asserted that not only does Duterte have unexplained wealth, but the wealth she supposedly amassed was not declared in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN). It also claimed that Duterte gained revenue from prohibited businesses.

With only 12 trial days dedicated to the article, the prosecution plans to present 14 witnesses and over 1,800 bank, tax, and financial records of the vice president.

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For the first week of presentation, the prosecution is anticipated to present retired Sandiganbayan presiding judge Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, Ombudsman Records Division officer-in-charge Karen Batu, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director Gerardo Del Rosario.

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Cabotaje-Tang will be the first witness to establish governing principles on undisclosed and unexplained wealth, and prohibited business interests.

She will be followed by Batu, who will testify on the SALNs submitted to the Ombudsman by the vice president.

For his part, Del Rosario is expected to verify the companies linked to Duterte and her husband, Manases “Mans” Carpio.

The prosecution has wrapped up its presentations for article IV, or Duterte’s supposed grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and article I, referring to the vice president’s supposed misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.

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Duterte’s financial records have been in contention since the impeachment’s pre-trial conference. The vice president’s defense lawyers insisted that the examination of her bank and tax records after the complaints have been filed may lead to a “fishing expedition.”

But the prosecution recalled the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona whose financial records were also later accepted into evidence, adding that such records would give the “entire picture” of Duterte’s finances as a public official.

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After the parties’ oral arguments, the court granted to subpoena Duterte’s bank, tax, and Anti-Money Laundering Council records, along with those of Carpio, the Carpio Lawyers partnership and 19 other business entities.

Only two companies associated with the couple were barred from having financial records submitted due to insufficient evidence connecting them to Duterte. /cb