MANILA, Philippines — The Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is set to feature high-profile testimonies from her younger brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as prosecutors build their case on alleged unexplained wealth.
Prosecution panel member Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. confirmed that Mayor Duterte received a subpoena on September 22 and is scheduled to take the witness stand first, with hearings set for September 28, 29, and 30.
“Ang inaasahan ho nating susunod na testigo ay si Davao Mayor Baste Duterte. Nakatanggap na ho siya ng subpoena last week,” Atty. Tolosa said.
“So inaasahan ho natin na siya’y tatalima din sa subpoena at makikita natin siyang humarap bilang testigo next week,” he added.
Mayor Duterte’s testimony centers on municipal transactions involving GenCorp Industries Inc., a firm listed in the Vice President’s 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
While the Davao City mayor maintains that 19 city contracts with GenCorp totaling over ₱33.2 million were above board, PhilGEPS records presented to the court show at least ₱35.9 million in contracts involving the city, PhilHealth, and OWWA.
Prosecutors intend to ask the court to declare Mayor Duterte a hostile witness to allow broader questioning.
Meanwhile, the prosecution has also requested a subpoena for Trillanes to testify on allegations regarding undisclosed bank accounts and financial receipts under Article II of the impeachment complaint.
“Alam natin, maraming naghihintay sa kanyang magiging testimonya,” Tolosa noted regarding Trillanes.
Trillanes previously testified before the House Committee on Justice during probable cause hearings, alleging that the Vice President and her family received ₱181 million from business figure Samuel Uy, with ₱22.3 million allegedly directed to her.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) later confirmed that transaction dates and figures in 18 entries matched its database of covered and suspicious reports, though the agency clarified that such reports do not automatically denote illegal origin.
Tolosa added that upcoming prosecution witnesses will also include representatives from PhilHealth Region XI, the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office, various Registers of Deeds, and the executive director of the AMLC.
“So inaasahan ho natin na pakinggan ho natin itong mga importanteng magiging testimonya na maririnig natin dito sa mga testigo na ’to,” Tolosa said.