Ridon rejects conflict-of-interest claim over former Davao City consultancy

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 06, 2026

Photo Courtesy: Maria Tan

House prosecutor Terry Ridon has pushed back against Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that his previous consultancy work for the Davao City government creates a conflict of interest in the ongoing impeachment trial.

Ridon confirmed that he served as a consultant for the Davao City local government from around 2018 to 2020, working on poverty-related programs. He said the consultancy had no connection to the financial allegations currently being examined by the Senate impeachment court.

His response came after Duterte raised his previous work during a press conference, as she challenged Ridon’s role in the prosecution panel.

Ridon maintained that there was no conflict because his work for the Davao City government was focused on poverty alleviation and was unrelated to the transactions involving the Vice President and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, that are now part of the impeachment proceedings.

He also said he had no knowledge at the time of the allegations involving billions of pesos in covered and suspicious transactions that the prosecution is presenting before the impeachment court.

The dispute comes as the prosecution continues presenting financial evidence in the impeachment trial. AMLC records presented to the court showed around P4.4 billion in covered and suspicious transactions involving Duterte and Carpio from 2007 to 2025.

Ridon said the prosecution would continue focusing on evidence presented before the senator-judges, leaving it to the impeachment court to determine the significance of the financial records and other evidence.

He also rejected any suggestion that the prosecution panel was behind separate allegations raised by former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., saying those claims were not part of the prosecution’s case.

With the trial moving deeper into its financial evidence, Ridon said the prosecution would proceed with presenting its case despite the attacks against individual members of the panel.