House prosecutors are evaluating whether Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, could be summoned as a hostile witness in her Senate impeachment trial.
Speaking on Thursday, September 10, Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon explained that the prosecution panel is assessing the relevance of Carpio’s potential testimony regarding Article II of the complaint, which accuses the Vice President of acquiring unexplained wealth disproportionate to her legitimate income.
Ridon indicated that Carpio might be called to testify if his name surfaces in financial or legal documents submitted as evidence in the trial.
“Pwede pong pag-isipan, kasi siyempre kung halimbawa napapangalanan siya doon sa ilang mga bank accounts, kung napapangalanan po siya doon sa ilan pong mga dokumento, eh I think rightfully, pwede pong maipatawag para maitanong yung katotohanan sa likod po ng mga dokumento na ito,” Ridon noted.
However, the lawmaker-prosecutor clarified that Carpio has not yet been formally placed on the prosecution’s official witness roster.
“I think that is still at a very early stage in our discussions…Wala pa naman po sa pinag-uusapan na may sama po si Atty. Carpio doon po sa bilang po ng witnesses po namin as a hostile witness,” he clarified, adding, “Pero pwede po naming pag-isipan ito.”
The initial lineup of prosecution witnesses features representatives and officials from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These witnesses are slated to present documents detailing the couple’s corporate records, tax filings, and financial dealings.
In addition, prosecutors have gathered subpoenaed material from the Senate impeachment court—including corporate papers and bank details—along with an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report.
The AMLC report outlines approximately ₱6.7 billion in total financial activity linked to Duterte and Carpio over a 20-year span, featuring over ₱4 billion in inflows and roughly ₱1.5 billion in outflows, with multiple transactions flagged by banks as covered and suspicious.
The House prosecution team, co-led by Ridon and Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno, will start presenting evidence on the unexplained wealth charge on Monday, September 14.