Impeachment Court Orders Subpoena for VP Sara, Husband's Financial Records

Welcome Back, MindaNews / 20 July 2026 – With some exceptions, the Senate impeachment court on Monday granted the prosecution’s request to subpoena the bank, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio. The decision came after lengthy arguments by both parties and questioning by Senator-Judges Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano. The House prosecution said the records they sought will be presented in connection with Article II of the impeach complaint alleging unexplained wealth. Debunking the defense’s argument that the prosecution’s request was a “fishing expedition,” the court said the records are relevant in establishing a factual baseline for determining whether Duterte has earned assets that are disproportionate to her lawful income. The court also granted the production of Carpio’s bank records, citing Republic Act 6713 which requires spouses to disclose their assets. “After a careful examination, the Court finds that the requested documents meet the requirements set forth above. They are reasonably described, readily identifiable, prima facie relevant and material to the allegations under Article 2,” presiding officer Senator-Judge Chiz Escudero said. The court however clarified that the records may not be used to introduce new impeachable offenses. “Their admissibility and evidentiary use shall remain subject to the Prosecution establishing their connection to the alleged unexplained wealth during the Respondent’s present term in relation to Article II of the Articles of Impeachment,” Escudero said. The court ruled in favor of the prosecution regarding the bank records held separately by Duterte and her husband Carpio, and jointly by him and her. “The law is clear on the matter. The legal necessity of examining the financial records of Atty. Carpio is firmly cemented by the default property regime of absolute community of property governing his marriage to the Respondent,” Escudero said. “Absent any proof of a different property regime governing their marriage, any funds deposited in the bank accounts of Atty. Carpio are legally presumed to form a single, indivisible mass of community property jointly owned with the Respondent Vice President,” he cited. The court also granted the motion for a subpoena for the bank records of 19 out of 21 corporate entities, saying “the Respondent’s connection to these entities is prima facie shown by their General Information Sheets and the Articles of Partnership, which have been pre-marked in evidence, and by her admitted SALNs for 2022 to 2025.” But the court denied the requests concerning the bank records of JTC Group of Companies and Pikimong Pikimong Philippines Corporation, saying the Vice President and her husband were not identified as shareholders in the companies’ General Information Sheet, and the prosecution “failed to show either a direct business interest or a clear and convincing basis to disregard their separate juridical personalities.” During a House justice committee hearing on the impeachment complaints against Duterte, AMLC officials testified that a total of P6.77 billion in large and suspicious transactions flowed through the couple’s bank accounts from 2006 to 2025, an amount much higher than the amounts declared by Duterte in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). Defense Michael Poa argued that bank transactions do not translate to net worth or wealth. Poa agreed with House prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno that a subpoena only compels the production of records but does not, by itself, determine whether those records are admissible as evidence. However, the defense counsel argued that opening up all the respondent’s financial transactions would be intrusive. He said the prosecution must establish the definiteness and relevance of the records subject to subpoenas. Diokno, citing two cases brought before the Supreme Court, said that determining unexplained wealth involves not just examining an official’s SALN but also the entirety of his income. Otherwise, he said, it would be impossible to know if his lawful income explains his wealth. He said a SALN is just a “snapshot” and an Income Tax Return a “short video” of a taxpayer’s transactions for the entire year. He noted that the records presented by the AMLC during a House justice committee hearing covered not the entire transactions but only the “suspicious” ones. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno/MindaNews) MindaNews is the news service arm of the Mindanao Institute of Journalism. It is composed of independent, professional journalists who believe and practice people empowerment through media. PAGES Top StoriesNewsBusinessMindaViewsArts & CulturePhoto of the DayPeace ProcessFact CheckMedia ImpactBooks LOCATION