Late access to bank and tax records prompted prosecutors to drop three impeachment articles and concentrate on alleged unexplained wealth
MANILA (November 3) — An alleged ₱817.87 million in unexplained wealth involving Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, has become the central focus of her impeachment trial after prosecutors obtained financial records they said strengthened their remaining case.
The House prosecution panel’s decision to withdraw three of the four impeachment articles on October 12 came only after it gained access to Duterte’s bank accounts, tax records and other financial documents, private prosecutor Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa said.
Tolosa explained that prosecutors could not have narrowed the case at the beginning of the proceedings because the documents needed to examine the alleged accumulation of wealth were not immediately available.
“We have to explain, it was not possible to make that decision at the start,” Tolosa said. “Remember, these documents, we did not immediately get them.”
Financial records took months to obtain
The prosecution’s efforts to secure the records encountered objections from Duterte’s defense, which argued that their disclosure would violate her rights and Philippine laws.
The dispute prompted the Senate impeachment court to conduct oral arguments before ruling on the prosecution’s request.
On July 20, the court partially granted the request for subpoenas covering bank accounts, tax records, Anti-Money Laundering Council reports and documents from 20 entities allegedly linked to Duterte and Carpio.
However, the issuance of subpoenas did not mean the prosecution immediately received the records.
Tolosa said the documents first had to reach the court before they could be turned over to both parties for examination and marking.
“We all saw the boxes of documents. That was only when we were able to study it,” he said.
It was only after examining these records that prosecutors assessed the strength of their case and decided to concentrate on the alleged unexplained wealth.
Forensic analysis puts alleged wealth at ₱817.87 million
Tolosa cited the findings of forensic financial expert Atty. Alexander Cabrera, who reportedly identified ₱817.87 million in unexplained wealth involving Duterte and Carpio from 2022 to 2025.
Tolosa also referred to a range of ₱817 million to ₱1.5 billion in discussing the expert’s findings, although the precise basis for the differing figures needs clarification.
The financial analysis became a key element in the prosecution’s decision to retain Article II and abandon the other three impeachment articles.
On October 12, the House prosecution panel withdrew the other charges, saying the evidence on the alleged unexplained wealth was sufficient to secure a conviction vote from the senator-judges.
Senate impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero approved the withdrawal on the same day.
The amount cited by the prosecution remains an allegation supported by its presented financial analysis, not a final judicial finding that Duterte or Carpio committed wrongdoing.
Defense to challenge remaining charge
The Senate impeachment proceedings are scheduled to resume on November 9, when Duterte’s lawyers are expected to begin presenting counter-evidence on Article II.
The defense will have the opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s financial analysis and present explanations for the assets and transactions identified in the records.
The senator-judges will ultimately have to assess whether the prosecution’s evidence establishes the allegations and provides sufficient grounds for an impeachment conviction.
With three articles withdrawn, the financial records and the alleged ₱817.87-million wealth discrepancy now carry greater weight in the proceedings.
The coming hearings will test not only the prosecution’s interpretation of the financial documents but also the defense’s ability to account for the transactions and assets at the center of the remaining impeachment charge.
