MANILA, Philippines — The Senate impeachment court on Monday pressed forward with the 30th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial, centering on evidence surrounding her declared assets, financial dealings, and business ties.
House prosecutors focused their presentation on Article II of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Duterte of failing to divest from financial interests and submitting questionable wealth declarations during her tenure as Vice President.
Rendell Sopeña, division chief of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), took the witness stand to detail government contracts linked to GenCorp Industries—a firm connected to Duterte’s financial filings. Sopeña testified that out of 15 contracts awarded to the company by the Davao City government, only four underwent competitive bidding, with the total value reaching roughly ₱34.2 million.
Prosecutors also presented testimony from Police Major Jerickson Sangalang of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office, who confirmed that 22 firearms—including a shotgun and multiple rifles—were registered to Duterte and her spouse, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio.
While the defense declined to cross-examine Sangalang, several senators questioned the direct relevance of the gun registrations to the current charges. The testimony prompted Senator Raffy Tulfo to advocate for a broader review of national firearm ownership regulations.
Heated exchanges broke out over Duterte’s subpoenaed financial documents. Prosecution panel member and Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno proposed withdrawing a request for Duterte to formally admit ownership of the bank accounts, provided the defense agreed to specific conditions.
”Ganoon lang po kasimple, Your Honors. We will withdraw our request for admission if the respondent will agree to this,” Diokno stated.
Diokno outlined three conditions: acknowledging the existence of the accounts, confirming they were produced under valid Senate subpoenas, and verifying that the documents are authentic bank records.
Lead defense attorney Sheila Sison firmly rejected the offer, citing constitutional protections against self-incrimination.
”The court has consistently said that an admission is actually akin to a testimony, that is why it is called an admission,” Sison argued.
”And if the Constitution prohibits compulsion for a respondent or accused to testify for himself or herself, the request for admission should likewise be prohibited here,” she added.
The court deferred its final ruling on the bank record admissions.
To expand its probe into Duterte’s financial record, the court issued fresh subpoenas. Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura was summoned to appear on October 1 and 2, while two provincial officials were ordered to testify regarding real estate holdings tied to Carpio.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte requested more time to compile documents ahead of his scheduled appearance regarding the GenCorp municipal awards.