Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno on Wednesday called on the Senate impeachment tribunal to force the disclosure of Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial assets, asserting that the records are crucial to verifying claims of unexplained wealth accumulated during her career in public office.
During his oral arguments before the senator-judges, Diokno—acting as a member of the House prosecution panel—appealed for the issuance of subpoenas covering the tax filings, bank transactions, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents belonging to both the Vice President and her spouse, attorney Mans Carpio.
“Simple lang ang isyung kinakaharap natin ngayong hapong ito, pero napakabigat. Bubuksan ba natin ang pinto ng katotohanan o haharangin ito? Ang hiling ng prosekusyon ay mailabas ang buong katotohanan so that this court may know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and make its decisions based on that,” Diokno told the senator-judges.
“That is why we have requested the issuance of subpoena duces tecum for the bank records, tax records, and Anti-Money Laundering Council reports relating to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband,” he added.
Key Evidence for Impeachment Charges
Speaking on the sixth day of the impeachment trial, the veteran human rights attorney stressed that these financial documents are vital to proving Article II of the impeachment complaint.
This article accuses Duterte of possessing hidden wealth and engaging in prohibited business dealings while holding the second-highest office in the country.
“Una: Na pinayaman ni Bise Presidente ang kanyang sarili nang labis-labis sa kanyang legal na sahod at lehitimong kita bilang isang lingkod-bayan. Pangalawa: Na mayroon siyang mga ari-ariang hindi idineklara sa kanyang statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth mula taong 2022 hanggang 2025,” Diokno said.
“Pangatlo: Na habang siya ay nanunungkulan bilang Bise Presidente, nakibahagi siya sa negosyo, directly or indirectly, kahit ipinagbabawal ito ng ating Konstitusyon,” he added.
Diokno contended that the Senate’s authority as an impeachment body under the 1987 Constitution is absolute, giving it the power to order the release of financial data despite standard statutory protections.
“Tanging ang hukumang ito lamang ang may kapangyarihang magpasya kung ang mga pinakamataas na pinuno ng ating bansa ay karapat-dapat pa ring manungkulan. Because this power comes directly from the Constitution, no one— no person, no law, and no administrative rule- can limit or supersede it,” he said.
He pointed out that because the Constitution designates the Senate as the sole body to try impeachment cases, and the Bank Secrecy Law permits exceptions for such trials, the legal path is clear.
“Walang kaduda-duda. May karapatan at kapangyarihan ang Impeachment Court na busisiin ang mga bank record ni VP Sara,” Diokno said.
Staggering Financial Transactions
Highlighting an AMLC report previously introduced in the House of Representatives, Diokno noted that Duterte’s financial transactions reportedly spiked to ₱208.15 million in 2007.
According to the report, her transaction volumes remained elevated from 2009 to 2013, routinely surpassing ₱400 million annually, with peaks of ₱704.93 million in 2009, ₱648.58 million in 2010, and ₱597.15 million in 2011.
“Si VP Sara ay nanungkulan bilang vice mayor ng Davao City mula 2007 hanggang 2010. Naglingkod naman siya bilang mayor ng Davao City mula 2010 hanggang 2013. From 2007 up to 2013, ayon sa records ng AMLC, lumampas sa P3 billion ang kanyang financial activity,” Diokno pointed out.
The prosecution argued that her past financial dealings while serving as a local chief executive in Davao City are entirely relevant to evaluating her integrity and current fitness for the vice presidency.
He asserted that the constitutional concept of “betrayal of public trust” is meant to address actions that show an official is unfit to remain in office.
“For this honorable court to determine whether VP Sara Duterte is unfit to continue in office, it must have a clear picture of the respondent as a public servant. Kailangang makita ng publiko at ng mga senator-judge ang tunay na kulay ng Bise Presidente at larawan ng kanyang buong pagkatao bilang isang lingkod-bayan,” he said.
“If she amassed staggering amounts of unexplained wealth while she was a vice mayor and mayor, doesn’t that say a lot about her unfitness to serve as a Vice President? Isn’t that relevant to the question this Court must resolve at the end of this trial, of whether or not the Vice President betrayed the trust given to her by the people?” Diokno stressed.
To support his argument, Diokno referenced the impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, where the Senate tribunal similarly issued subpoenas to obtain bank records.
The Senate impeachment court has yet to issue a decision on the prosecution’s request.