Prosecution set to lay out financial records in VP Sara impeachment trial

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 04, 2026

Photo courtesy: Senate of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution panel is preparing to present a new set of financial documents in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with records involving her, her husband Manases “Mans” Carpio and related entities expected to take center stage next week.

The documents are expected to include materials from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, banks, insurance firms and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, as prosecutors move deeper into Article II of the impeachment complaint, which involves allegations of unexplained wealth and discrepancies in asset declarations.

House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura is expected to be among the witnesses called, while representatives from financial institutions and the BIR may also be presented to explain the records submitted to the impeachment court.

The Senate impeachment court had earlier authorized subpoenas covering specified bank, tax and AMLC records after finding the requests sufficiently particular and relevant to the prosecution’s allegations.

Prosecutors have said the records are intended to compare declared income and assets with documented transactions and business interests linked to Duterte and Carpio.

The House panel has also cited an AMLC report covering roughly P6.7 billion in aggregate covered and suspicious transactions over several years. Ridon has previously clarified that the figure refers to the combined value of transactions over time and should not be interpreted as the amount held in the couple’s accounts at any single point.

Several banks have already complied with subpoenas issued by the impeachment court and submitted records for the proceedings, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution has also floated the possibility of calling Carpio as a hostile witness if necessary to explain documents or accounts bearing his name, although that remains a possible litigation step rather than a confirmed move.

The financial-record phase is expected to become one of the most closely watched parts of the trial as prosecutors continue building their case under Article II.