HOUSE prosecutor Joel Chua drew a direct parallel Saturday between the historic impeachment conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona and the case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, noting that Corona was removed from office over roughly ₱100 million in undeclared assets — a fraction of the amounts now under scrutiny.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum, Chua pointed out that the prosecution’s forensic expert has flagged up to ₱1.5 billion in potential unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio. “Corona was convicted for approximately ₱100 million. Here, our expert says the figure could reach ₱1.5 billion,” Chua emphasized.
Corona was found guilty by the Senate impeachment court on May 29, 2012, by a vote of 20‑3, for failing to disclose about $2.4 million and ₱80 million in bank deposits. In the current proceedings, expert witness Atty. Alexander Cabrera calculated ₱817.87 million in identified discrepancies from 2022 to 2025 — a figure he said could rise to ₱1.5 billion under broader accounting that includes unexamined corporate income and additional transactions. Cabrera confirmed the higher estimate during questioning by Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero on October 12.
Chua also raised concerns about explanations the defense may offer, noting that gifts to public officials are restricted under Republic Act No. 6713 and transfers from family would require proof of proper tax payment. He acknowledged that the defense will have its opportunity to respond when proceedings resume on November 9, with Article II — the unexplained wealth charge — as the sole remaining article. The defense has already contested Cabrera’s methodology, including how he attributed corporate earnings to Duterte and Carpio.
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