THE House prosecution said Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s defense must now provide a detailed explanation of the sources of her wealth and the alleged discrepancies between her financial holdings and sworn declarations.
House prosecution legal spokesperson and private prosecutor Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. said the central issue in the remaining impeachment charge was no longer simply the amount of wealth identified by investigators but whether Duterte could reconcile the financial records presented by the prosecution with her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
In a recent interview with Radyo Ronda Balita-Southern Mindanao, Tolosa said the prosecution had presented official records showing alleged discrepancies between Duterte’s declared net worth and the financial holdings of her and her husband examined by forensic accounting expert Alexander Cabrera.
“Sa pagbabalik ng proceedings, magkakaroon na naman ng oportunidad [ang depensa] na magpresenta ng ebidensya. Tingnan natin kung paano nila ipapaliwanag ang bagay na ito,” Tolosa said.
He said Duterte’s defense would have to address two separate questions: how the wealth identified in the prosecution’s financial analysis was accumulated and why the questioned assets and financial holdings were allegedly not fully reflected in the relevant SALNs.
The House prosecution earlier presented Cabrera’s financial analysis identifying at least P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, from 2022 to 2025.
Cabrera said the figure was a conservative estimate based on the available records, with a broader computation potentially reaching about P1.5 billion, subject to adjustments for liabilities and taxes.
Duterte declared a net worth of about P98.66 million in her 2025 SALN.
Tolosa said the prosecution would also compare the financial findings with the income Duterte reported to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
He argued that the alleged discrepancies warranted a substantive explanation from the defense rather than being dismissed as minor accounting errors.
The House prosecution has completed its presentation of evidence under Article II after withdrawing the three other impeachment articles involving the alleged misuse of confidential funds, grave threats and bribery.
The defense is scheduled to begin presenting evidence when the impeachment trial resumes on November 9.
Tolosa said the prosecution was awaiting the defense’s explanation of the financial records, which would be assessed by the Senate Impeachment Court before it decides whether the remaining charge has been proven.
metrosundaily
