‘No simple living for the Dutertes’

THE House prosecution on Friday questioned Vice President Sara Duterte’s public image of simple living as its final witness presented financial findings that included P11.35 million in checks allegedly paid to her dentist and estimated P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and income.

Financial forensic expert Alexander Cabrera, a certified public accountant and lawyer, estimated that Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, had P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and income from 2022 to 2025.

Among the transactions highlighted in Cabrera’s report were check payments totaling P11.35 million to Lourdes Lebosada, identified during the hearing as Duterte’s dentist.

He also flagged P299,142 in Nike purchases at SM Davao Annex in a single day.

The prosecution said Cabrera tied together bank records, statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), corporate filings and audited financial statements to support its allegations under Article II of the impeachment complaint, which covers unexplained wealth, inaccurate financial declarations and prohibited business interests.

House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon pointed to the gap between Cabrera’s estimate and Duterte’s declared net worth of about P98 million.

“I think the numbers are staggering today. More than P800 million in supposed unexplained wealth, as stated by the expert witness, against a SALN of P98 million,” Ridon said.

The financial findings have renewed scrutiny of the Duterte family’s public image of living like ordinary Filipinos.

House prosecution spokesperson Ace Barbers earlier questioned that image, citing the family’s portrayal of sleeping under mosquito nets and eating at roadside eateries.

“But now, there are financial records that need to be explained. The image is no longer enough. The documents must speak,” Barbers said.

In a statement Friday after the prosecution concluded its presentation, Barbers expressed confidence that the evidence could support Duterte’s conviction.

“We’re confident that the evidence that we presented in the impeachment court will perhaps merit a conviction,” he said.

Remarkable clarity

Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson on Saturday praised House prosecutor Chel Diokno for presenting the alleged unexplained wealth of Vice President Duterte with “remarkable clarity, precision, and coherence,” but emphasized that the prosecution’s financial evidence remains open to challenge by the defense.

Lacson said the prosecution appeared to have connected the key issues under Article II of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Duterte of unexplained wealth, while emphasizing that the Senate impeachment court must withhold judgment until the defense has had an opportunity to scrutinize the testimony of prosecution expert witness Alexander Cabrera.

“Without intending to prejudge the outcome, and subject to any convincing rebuttal the defense may present during the cross-examination of prosecution expert witness Alexander B. Cabrera, congressman Chel Diokno appears to have tied up the issues under Article II (Unexplained Wealth) with remarkable clarity, precision, and coherence,” Lacson said in a post on X.

Diokno questioned Cabrera during Friday’s proceedings, focusing on the financial analysis presented by the prosecution to support its allegations against the vice president.

Cabrera’s testimony, however, has yet to undergo cross-examination, which is expected to begin next week.

Lacson said the defense must be given a full opportunity to challenge the expert’s findings, test the assumptions behind his analysis and expose any weaknesses that could affect the prosecution’s case.

While expressing respect for Cabrera and his professional credentials, Lacson said he would not treat the expert’s testimony as conclusive before hearing the defense’s arguments and any countervailing evidence.

He also pointed out that the defense could present its own expert witness and financial analysis, leaving the senator-judges to determine which side has the more convincing evidence.

“After the defense has its chance to present its own expert and analysis, we as senator-judges will weigh which of the testimonies are more meritorious,” Lacson said.

The next phase of the proceedings will be crucial in determining whether the prosecution’s financial analysis can withstand scrutiny from the defense.

Public prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon said that after the defense completes its cross-examination of Cabrera, followed by any re-direct examination and re-cross-examination, the prosecution will offer its evidence to the impeachment court.

During Friday’s hearing, Lacson also made light of the presentation, joking that both Diokno and Cabrera had voices suited for FM radio.

He added that he did not feel sleepy during their exchanges.

The lighthearted remark notwithstanding, Lacson’s assessment underscored the distinction between the prosecution’s presentation and the court’s ultimate evaluation of the evidence.

As senator-judges, Lacson and his colleagues must assess the competing claims and supporting evidence before deciding whether the allegations against Duterte have been established under the impeachment process.

The defense’s forthcoming cross-examination of Cabrera is expected to test the foundation of the prosecution’s unexplained wealth allegations and provide the impeachment court with a clearer basis for evaluating the competing financial analyses.

Review of anti-graft laws

House prosecution lead counsel Gerville Luistro on Saturday called for a review of the country’s anti-graft, tax, money laundering and procurement laws following impeachment trial findings of about P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and income involving Duterte and her husband.

The Batangas 2nd District representative said Congress should determine whether existing laws need amendments or stricter enforcement to address possible financial misconduct and conflicts of interest involving public officials.

“We need to revisit, if not amend, laws such as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, or Republic Act 3019; the Anti-Money Laundering Act; the Procurement Law; Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; and perhaps include the Securities Regulation Act and Commission on Audit rules,” Luistro said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

The House Committee on Justice chairman made the observation after 37 days of impeachment proceedings against Duterte, whose trial includes allegations of unexplained wealth under Article II of the impeachment complaint.

Luistro questioned why no tax evasion complaints had been filed despite financial discrepancies presented by prosecution forensic expert Alexander Cabrera.

“I find it strange. Why has no tax evasion case been filed?” she said.

She cited P101 million in allegedly undeclared personal income, P142 million involving Cale88 Foods Corp. and Metro City Chow Food Corp., and P212 million involving GenCorp Industries Inc. The companies were linked to Duterte and Carpio in the prosecution’s presentation.

“The amount is substantial. Have we filed a tax evasion case? Have we reached the threshold?” Luistro asked.

She said lawmakers should examine the National Internal Revenue Code to determine whether clearer guidelines are needed to investigate potential tax violations.

Luistro also called for stronger coordination among the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice when financial investigations uncover possible offenses.

She said the AMLC’s responsibilities should be clarified, particularly regarding when financial findings warrant complaints or referrals to prosecutors.

Beyond the financial discrepancies, Luistro questioned 19 Davao City government contracts worth about P34 million awarded to GenCorp, in which Duterte allegedly declared a business interest. The city government was headed by her brother, Mayor Sebastian Duterte.

“We saw during the presentation of evidence that Vice President Duterte declared a business interest in GenCorp. But look what happened: 19 contracts worth around P34 million were awarded by none other than the Davao City government, headed by her own brother,” Luistro said.

She also raised discrepancies between Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth and GenCorp’s corporate filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Luistro said Congress should review safeguards under RA 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act, to prevent conflicts of interest in government contracts.

She also sought clearer SALN disclosure guidelines under RA 6713 and a review of securities regulations and Commission on Audit rules.

Cabrera testified Friday that his analysis identified about P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and income involving Duterte and Carpio from 2022 to 2025.

The prosecution presented the findings to support its allegations of unexplained wealth.

Luistro said, however, that the problem may lie not in the absence of laws but in their implementation.

“Implementation may be what is lacking. The laws may be sufficient, but implementation is what is lacking,” she said.