Senate Orders Submission of VP Duterte's Bank Records for Impeachment Trial

The Senate impeachment court has ordered the Philippine National Bank (PNB) and UnionBank to submit Vice President Sara Duterte's bank records by Thursday, September 17. Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero said this is an extension of the initial timeframe the court provided, given the banks' request for more time to submit voluminous documents, and that the September 17 deadline is non-extendable. The Senate impeachment court granted the prosecution’s request for the issuance of a subpoena for the bank records of the Vice President on July 20. The prosecution intends to present these bank records of the Vice President as evidence to support Article 2 of the impeachment case, which argues that the Vice President should be impeached due to accumulated unexplained wealth through the following: Last week, the House prosecution panel asked for Duterte's admission of authenticity and ownership of bank accounts, which the prosecution will present as evidence during her impeachment trial, saying she can make such an admission without compromising her defense. Prosecutor Chel Diokno of Akbayan party-list made the manifestation in a 104-page request for admission that the prosecution submitted to the court and the defense during Day 23 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President. —LDF, GMA News