HOUSE prosecution spokesperson Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. expressed hope that Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team will no longer introduce delays in the impeachment trial, allowing proceedings to conclude before the end of the year.
Tolosa noted that the Senate Impeachment Court has already ruled on the defense’s objections to evidence and rejected requests to present arguments on the three articles of impeachment that were withdrawn, clearing the way to focus solely on Article II — the charge of unexplained wealth and failure to truthfully declare assets. “Hopefully, there will be no peripheral matters that may cause delay, and we can proceed directly to the issue of unexplained wealth so it will not prolong the proceedings,” Tolosa stated.
Tolosa emphasized the weight of the documents at the center of the case, particularly the Vice President’s own Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) from 2022 to 2025. He pointed out that these were signed, submitted, and notarized personally by Duterte — herself a lawyer — making it difficult to claim they were prepared or overlooked entirely by staff.
The prosecution has presented bank records showing substantial maintained balances that were not reflected in her declared entries; while her SALNs listed total wealth at ₱98 million, forensic analysis places the figure of undeclared and unexplained wealth between ₱817 million and ₱1.5 billion. Also cited is her listed interest in GenCorp Industries Inc., which had transactions with the Davao City government as confirmed by her brother, Mayor Sebastian Duterte.
To expedite the process, Tolosa said the prosecution is prepared to stipulate to facts the defense intends to present through its witnesses, removing the need to belabor points already agreed upon. “We want the public to hear the Vice President’s side on these allegations directly when the trial resumes on Monday,” he added. The focus now rests on whether the defense will address the specific discrepancies in her financial disclosures and the substantial funds identified, or continue procedural challenges.
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