NBI to refer alleged discrepancy in Sara Duterte SALN to Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines —The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will refer its findings on the alleged discrepancy in Vice President Sara Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALN to the Office of the Ombudsman, according to Director Melvin Matibag.

In an interview, Matibag said NBI agents will file their findings with the Ombudsman on Tuesday afternoon.

“Ang team ng NBI will file our findings doon sa aming ginawa na pag-imbestiga na yan at sila na yung pagpatuloy pa ng investigation dito. Ito yung mga ebidensya doon sa aming investigation,” Matibag said.

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(The NBI team will file our findings from the investigation we conducted, and they will continue the investigation here. This is the evidence from our investigation.)

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The referral came after Matibag earlier said that the bureau is currently investigating properties linked to the vice president and her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, after saying that NBI agents who went on the ground in Davao City discovered that one of their properties declared at around P890,000 could be worth as much as P60 million.

Matibag said the property in Catigan, Davao City, was declared as agricultural land worth only P890,000. But he said that upon inspection, NBI agents discovered that it was actually estimated to be worth P50 to P60 million.

READ: NBI probes Duterte properties as P890,000 asset may be worth P60M

He said that the Duterte family has a total of 121 properties in Davao City and Davao del Norte province. Of these, he said the 24 properties belonging to the vice president are under investigation.

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In a statement earlier this Tuesday, Duterte denied owning the property that the NBI is linking to her and her brother, Rep. Paolo Duterte.

“Nakakabahala na ang [NBI], na pinopondohan ng taumbayan, ay ginagamit ang kanilang mga operasyon para sa mga gawaing walang malinaw na pakinabang sa publiko,” Duterte said in a statement.

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(It is worrisome that the [NBI], which is funded by the public, is using its operations for activities that have no clear benefit to the public.)

“Ang lote sa larawan na sinabi niyang nasa aking [SALN] ay hindi sa akin. Ang ganitong panlilinlang sa publiko ay ang dahilan kung bakit inalis ang NBI sa listahan ng mga testigong ihaharap ng prosekusyon sa impeachment proceedings—dahil sa mga alegasyon na muli na naman silang naglahad ng mga ebidensiyang kuwestiyonable tulad noong Gracioso affidavit,” she added.

(The lot in the picture that he said was in my [SALN] does not belong to me. This deception of the public is the reason why the NBI was removed from the list of witnesses to be presented by the prosecution in the impeachment proceedings—due to allegations that they once again presented questionable evidence like the Gracioso affidavit.)

The investigation into the Dutertes’ properties came after establishing a pattern based on accusations by former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., Matibag said earlier.

READ: NBI: 2 ‘cash houses’ in Gracioso claim ‘validated’

Gracioso claims he delivered suitcases filled with cash to Vice President Duterte, Rep. Duterte, and former President Rodrigo Duterte in tranches starting in 2018, on the instructions of his former boss, former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, and his wife, Rowena.

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The implicated individuals have denied Gracioso’s allegations. /jpv