Early Subpoena for VP Duterte's Financial Docs to Prevent Trial Delays, Say Prosecutors

MANILA, Philippines — An early examination of the bank records and tax returns of Vice President Sara Duterte early in her impeachment trial will avoid delays, lawyer Jay Tolosa, spokesman of the House prosecution panel, said in a news conference on Wednesday. That’s why prosecutors decided to request subpoenas from the impeachment court for the documents this early to support the second article of impeachment, which focuses on unexplained wealth. He pointed out that, based on the prosecution’s schedule of evidence presentation, that would be the last to be tackled. “But we thought it best to ask for subpoenas for the documents early to make sure that this issue will not cause a delay,” Tolosa said in Filipino. “Because we have already anticipated it —they will probably try to block it, which is exactly what they are trying to do now. So we asked for the issuance in advance so that we could present evidence continuously when we reach that point,” he added. READ: Tax, bank records subpoena may be fishing expedition For his part, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, another prosecution spokesman, said the early scrutiny of the vice president’s tax records would give senator-judges time “to examine and appreciate these documents…and also makita nila how relevant these are to the articles of impeachment.” “Remember, these documents are not only technical but voluminous,” he said. Tolosa also pointed out that the unexplained wealth charge would be supported by documents from relevant agencies, such as the vice president’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AML) records. “There are so many documents to use so we can strengthen the charges about this. We have the SALNs. That’s just one. There are many — AMLC records, BIR records, bank records, testimonies of witnesses,” he said. READ: Duterte impeachment: Defense, prosecution clash on bank, tax secrecy During the House justice committee hearings on the impeachment complaints against the Vice President, the AMLC submitted a report on P7.7 billion in deposits and withdrawals flagged by banks as “covered” and “suspicious.” Of the P6.7-billion “inflows” in the bank accounts of Duterte and her husband, “outflows” amounted to about P4 billion, leaving a balance of roughly P2.7 billion. On the other hand, the Office of the Ombudsman furnished the committee with copies of the vice president’s SALNs, which showed that her net worth jumped from P7.5 million when she was Davao City mayor in 2006 to P88 million in 2024. On Monday, the fourth day of the trial, the prosecution informed the impeachment court that it would no longer present two witnesses to expedite the proceedings. /atm