MANILA, Philippines – To examine whether Vice President Sara Duterte accumulated wealth she failed to disclose or could not explain, prosecutors want to compare what she declared in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), what moved through bank accounts linked to her, and what income she reported to tax authorities.
Senator-judges are expected to continue deliberation on Monday, July 20, whether to issue subpoenas for the financial records of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
The court held oral arguments on Wednesday, July 15, but emerged from a closed-door caucus lasting more than an hour without a ruling. The postponement suggests they haven’t reached a common position on whether the subpoenas are necessary fact-finding tools or an excessively broad “fishing expedition,” as Duterte’s defense argues.
What prosecutors want
The prosecution wants nine bank branches ordered to produce records relating to Duterte and Carpio, including accounts, deposits, investments, trusts, loans, safe-deposit boxes, and transactions allegedly maintained, controlled, beneficially owned, or held by the couple or their representatives, nominees, and signatories from 2007 to 2025.
