Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon and Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno are set to take the lead for the House prosecution panel as the Senate impeachment court tackles the unexplained wealth allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, September 13.
Ridon, known for his outspoken and combative approach, and Diokno, who has maintained a calm and measured presence during heated proceedings, are expected to present the prosecution’s case for Article II on the 24th day of the impeachment trial.
The House prosecution team has described the evidence on Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth as potentially its most significant presentation so far.
Ridon and Diokno were assigned to prepare and present Article II after the House finalized its prosecution team last May.
The proceedings on Article II were preceded by Senate debates last July over subpoenas seeking Duterte’s bank and tax records, as well as those of her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio.
Diokno drew considerable attention on social media during those discussions because of his composed demeanor.
Ridon said during a weekend news forum that he could not reveal the specific evidence that would be presented when the trial resumes.
He confirmed, however, that financial transactions involving Duterte and Carpio that surfaced during House hearings in 2024 would be included in the prosecution’s presentation.
“Yun pong House proceedings, ang ceiling na pinag-usapan po natin ay billions in transactions, total transactions ng mag-asawang Duterte-Carpio. So yun po yung siyempre maisasama din po sa ilalahad po ng mga testigo,” he said.
The prosecution is also expected to introduce an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report detailing financial transactions involving the couple after the impeachment court ordered the release of the document.
The AMLC report previously submitted to the House indicated that banks had flagged approximately ₱6.7 billion in covered and suspicious transactions involving Duterte and Carpio over a 20-year period. Of this amount, around ₱4.4 billion involved inflows, while ₱1.5 billion consisted of outflows.
Prosecutors plan to compare the financial records with Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) and the AMLC findings to determine whether her declared assets and financial activity are consistent with her reported wealth and legitimate sources of income.
Ridon said the reported volume of transactions could indicate that the accounts involved held substantial amounts at various points.
“So kung bilyon po yung ceiling, inaasahan po natin na pagka tiningnan na yung mismong banks accounts, hindi ho piso-piso, hindi po barya-barya yung maaring makita po dito,” noted Ridon.
He also explained that bank records may show average balances even when deposits and withdrawals occur over time.
“Alam po ninyo, yung pasok at labas ng pera, sa dulo’t dulo, may tinatawag na average balance yung mga bangko dito. Kung nagpasok ka ng sampu at naglabas ng sampu, sa dulo sasabihin ng bangko may average balance pa rin yan, whether monthly or daily average,” he said.
Ridon further warned against assuming that an account had no balance merely because funds were withdrawn on a particular date.
“So huwag po nating bolahin yung mga tao na dahil nalimas, halimbawa on a particular date, yung bank accounts, wala pong actual na balanse over the course of several weeks yang accounts na yan,” Ridon said.