Prosecution alleges Sara Duterte, father hid P96-M with unused manager’s checks

MANILA — A joint bank account held by Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was used to purchase around P96 million worth of manager’s checks, which resulted in the amount not being reflected in the account’s year-end balance, a prosecution lawyer said Wednesday, as he sought to establish a “pattern” and prove alleged concealment.

During Wednesday’s impeachment trial of Sara Duterte, prosecution lawyer James Bryan Ibrahim Alih presented witness Marwin Galvez, division head for Central Manila branches of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, to confirm the existence of bank documents.

Alih alleged that Sara Duterte and her father had purchased separate manager’s checks in the 2010s worth P41 million and P55 million using their time deposit accounts.

Galvez confirmed that a joint account by the Dutertes was used to purchase a manager’s check in October 2011 worth P41 million, which was eventually unutilized.

But as Alih was continuing his presentation of bank documents, defense counsel Michael Poa objected and questioned their relevance, as the supposed transactions occurred outside of Sara Duterte’s tenure as Vice President.

Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson interjected and asked Alih whether he was trying to “establish a pattern at proving concealment,” to which the prosecution lawyer replied in the affirmative.

Alih explained that the manager’s checks were not reflected in the year-end balance of the accounts as the funds would be deemed “floating.”

“Ang punto lang naman po eventually is that, ‘yong manager’s check [amounting P41 million] na pinapaikot, hindi nakikita sa year-end balance kasi naka-float ‘yong pera na ‘yon,” Alih said.

“A similar time deposit that became an MC (manager’s check) in the amount of P55 million was also running the same years, simultaneous, with this P41 [million] so it’s a total of P96 million,” he added.

Senator-judge Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said a “banker friend” had referred to the practice of purchasing a manager’s check and returning the amount to the original account after year-end as “tinikling,” a Filipino folk dance in which dancers move their feet in and out between clapping bamboo poles.

Galvez explained that once a manager’s check is purchased, the amount used for the purchase is no longer reflected in the original account.

“Kapag yung pera ay ginamit pambili ng manager’s check, mawawala siya sa balanse ng pinanggalingang account po,” he said in response to a question from Sen. Raffy Tulfo.

“Nasa bangko [‘yong pera], in the form of the manager’s check account,” Galvez said. “Hindi po siya lalabas as part of the total balance, Your Honor, for as long as nasa manager’s account.”

Senator-judge Bam Aquino asked whether “tinikling” was a “known method of keeping your money,” particularly within banking circles, to which Galvez said he could not comment.

Galvez, however, said it was “not uncommon” for a manager’s check to be purchased and for the amount to be returned to the original account if the check was not used. 

He added that BPI asks its clients to state the purpose of purchasing a manager’s check in its application form.

Lacson asked whether many of those who purchase manager’s checks in October or before year-end were government officials, to which Galvez said he had “no personal knowledge” and declined to comment.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, said he reviewed Sara Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) for 2010 and 2011 but did not find the accounts in question declared in either document.

Reacting to Gatchalian, Poa raised the possibility that Sara Duterte might not be aware of the account, noting that she never signed on any of the transactions under the account. 

“All of them were done by the former president,” the defense lawyer said.

BPI’s Galvez confirmed that given the structure of the joint account of the Vice President and her father, she cannot make any transaction without the consent of the latter.

Public officials submit their SALNs on or before April 30 of every year thereafter, and should indicate declarations as of December 31 of the preceding year, according to the Civil Service Commission.

Sara Duterte also “does not have any recollection” of this account, Poa said in response to a question by Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros.  

“I was asked by the Vice President to verify [the BPI account]. Hindi niya natatandaan na may ganito siyang account at wala raw siyang transaksiyon,” Poa said.

The impeachment court is currently discussing the allegation that Duterte amassed unexplained wealth, failed to disclose all her and her spouse’s wealth, and failed to divest all her business interests during her tenure as vice president.

She and her lawyers have maintained that she did not commit any wrongdoing and that accusations against her have no basis and are politically motivated. —With a report from Victoria Tulad, ABS-CBN News