MANILA, Philippines — Former Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers has pointed out what he views as a stark contradiction between Vice President Sara Duterte’s projected humble lifestyle and the staggering financial figures revealed in recent Senate impeachment proceedings.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, October 27, Barbers—who serves as an adviser and member of the House prosecution panel—scrutinized the financial documents presented under Article II, which is the sole remaining impeachment charge against the Vice President.
Highlighting the irony behind public portrayals of the official, Barbers remarked:
“Si VP Sara ay isang simpleng bilyonaryo daw. Pangkarinderya ang drama pero pangbilyonarya ang bulsa.”
Barbers explained that the prosecution team aims to make the public aware of paper trails that allegedly expose unexplained wealth. He pointed to combined year-end bank balances belonging to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio, which reportedly hit roughly ₱59 million in 2022, climbed to ₱71 million in 2023, dropped to ₱22 million in 2024, and registered at ₱39 million in 2025.
He questioned why these figures heavily contrasted with the declarations made in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).
Further compounding the issue, forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera testified that findings suggest at least ₱817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets accumulated between 2022 and 2025, with broader calculations potentially pushing the total to ₱1.5 billion.
Given that the documentation originates directly from financial institutions, regulatory bodies, and records tied to the respondent herself, Barbers expressed confidence that the defense team will face an uphill battle refuting the data:
“Ako personally nga, parang para sa akin mahihirapan talaga silang pasinungalingan itong mga dokumentong ito because number one, ’yung dokumentong ’yan ay hindi naman galing sa prosecution. Ito ay galing mismo sa kanila.”
“’Yung records ba ng bangko, magbabago ba ’yan? Meron ba silang ipi-present na witness na sasabihin mali ’yung outstanding balances na iyan?”
Additionally, the former House quad-committee overall chairman raised pressing concerns over Duterte’s business interests, specifically asking whether proper legal divestment was carried out after she assumed office as Vice President in June 2022:
“Meron bang records of her divesting?”
In response, Vice President Duterte’s defense team has strongly contested the prosecution’s reading and presentation of the financial records. They are scheduled to formally begin presenting their counter-evidence before the Senate impeachment court on November 9.