Ex-Sandiganbayan Justice, Ombudsman, SEC Officials Tapped as Witnesses in Sara Duterte Unexplained Wealth Case

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution team in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is seeking to present a former anti-graft court justice, as well as representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as its first witnesses in its unexplained wealth case against her. Prosecutor Terry Ridon told the media on Thursday, September 10, that they have requested from the impeachment court the issuance of subpoenas to the following individuals: Retired Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang Office of the Ombudsman Records Division Officer-in-Charge Karen Batu SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo del Rosario Ridon said Cabotaje-Tang will be asked to discuss the principles governing public accountability and integrity, as well as mechanisms for addressing undisclosed wealth. Batu will testify on specific details about Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), while Del Rosario will authenticate the company records associated with the Vice President, Ridon added. The list of intended prosecution witnesses is still subject to the approval of the impeachment court. The trial resumes on Monday, September 14. Prosecutor Joel Chua previously said that their team may present up to 25 witnesses for the second impeachment article, alongside 1,800 financial documents. Duterte is accused of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust when she supposedly amassed unexplained wealth, highlighted by supposed inconsistencies between the Vice President’s large bank transactions and her net worth declarations. The Anti-Money Laundering Council had said that according to the banks, the accounts named under the Vice President and her husband, Mans Carpio, were the subject of covered transaction reports and suspicious transaction reports amounting to P6.77 billion from 2006 to 2025. Duterte’s legal team questioned the presentation of the AMLC numbers, saying an aggregate of inflows and outflows over two decades would naturally yield a bloated number. Despite the billions of pesos in bank transactions over the years, Duterte’s net worth averaged P42 million in 15 years, peaking at P88 million in 2024. What’s more notable is that she made zero cash and cash declaration deposits from 2019 to 2024, and modest cash on hand and cash in bank declarations during years she was in elective office between 2007 and 2018. – Rappler.com