MANILA, Philippines — Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon, a key prosecutor in the House of Representatives panel, issued a playful yet pointed warning to Vice President Sara Duterte during a press briefing on Tuesday, October 6, while carefully steering clear of sub judice boundaries.
Ridon offered Duterte a cheeky send-off, hinting at an impending resolution to the prosecution’s current presentation.
“Good luck. Good luck to the Vice President. Because the end is near,” said Ridon, before clarifying, “of our presentation.”
The prosecution team expects to conclude its presentation of evidence regarding Article II of the articles of impeachment—which addresses Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth—within the month. As the panel prepares to bypass Article III concerning bribery, the move marks a significant milestone toward finishing its core trial responsibilities.
“Kasi the end is near, my friends, of the presentation of our evidence, just to be clear,” Ridon emphasized.
Ridon, who routinely speaks at prosecution press conferences, had previously been cautioned by the Senate impeachment court against violating the sub judice rule, which restricts public comments on the merits of active judicial proceedings.
His remarks coincided with testimony from Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura. Buenaventura revealed financial records detailing roughly ₱4.4 billion in covered and suspicious transactions connected to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio, spanning from 2007 through 2025.
According to the AMLC data, seven inter-account transfers totaling ₱173.7 million occurred on a single day in March 2014. Additionally, Cale88 Foods Corporation—an entity tied to Carpio—received ₱319.33 million in foreign remittances from mainland China and Hong Kong.
AMLC flagged three Cale88 transactions as suspicious for lacking any underlying legal, trade, or economic justification, though the agency noted these disclosures do not automatically prove the funds were illicit or constitute unexplained wealth.
Despite criticism from Duterte aimed at prosecution members, Ridon affirmed that the legal team remains focused on its objective.
“Tuloy-tuloy lang po kami. Wala po itong takot, wala itong pangamba. Tuloy-tuloy lang po ’yung paglalabas ng ebidensya ngayong linggo,” he said.
Addressing recent attacks against him as the evidentiary phase winds down, the lawyer-legislator questioned the timing of the defense’s strategy.
While the prosecution aims to wrap up its presentation rapidly, Ridon noted they may still request to call a limited number of supplementary witnesses if approved by the Senate tribunal.
“We will push on until the very end, my friends,” Ridon added.