Sara Duterte may be last witness; more bank reps testify on impeachment trial day 35

MANILA — Prosecutors are mulling calling on Vice President Sara Duterte as a witness, possibly the last in her own impeachment trial, as the panel targets the presentation of all bank and insurance company representatives this week.

Benjamin Tolosa Jr., the prosecution team’s legal spokesperson, said all 13 representatives from 8 banks would be asked to present bank balances of accounts linked to the Vice President and her husband Manases Carpio to see if they match her declared wealth in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.

“This is why we are showing end of year balances. Ibabanga natin ‘yan. Tama ba na wala siyang cash in hand and cash in bank,” Tolosa said in a DZMM interview.

Article II of the impeachment complaint accuses the Vice President of unexplained wealth, false SALNs, and continued business interests despite her election in 2022.

Records presented by the Office of the Ombudsman during the trial showed Duterte declared the following net worth since her assumption as VP in 2022. 

• 2022: ₱71,658,841
• 2023: ₱77.5 million
• 2024: ₱88,512,370.22
• 2025: ₱98,656,131.20

Tolosa said the impeachment trial has shown that Duterte failed to declare ownership of several firearms, real properties, and several business interests in her SALNs.

Representatives from insurance companies will also testify on insurance policies paid for by the Duterte couple, including one P20-million policy paid in a single day, he said. 

“Kasama pa rin ‘yan sa yaman mo,” he said.

Prosecutors have yet to declare if they will summon Carpio to the witness stand but have reserved the right to ask for Duterte as a witness in the trial.

“If we will call her, she will probably be our last witness,” Tolosa said. “Nasa sa kanya kung gusto niyang sagutin o hindi considering all the evidence we have presented so far.”

“Ang goal talaga nami  ay tapusin na namin ito before the break in mid-October. Ang goal namin hindi na ito tumawid ng susunod na taon. Dapat talaga before mag-break, tapos na ang prosecution.

The impeachment trial is set to go on break starting Oct. 16 to give way to budget deliberations.

Tolosa noted the trial is set to resume on November 16 but Malacanang had already declared Nov. 16-18 as special non-working days in Metro Manila due to the 49th ASEAN summit and related summits.