Day 35: Bank records, joint deposits put Duterte couple's SALNs under scrutiny at impeachment trial

The Senate impeachment court spent Day 35 of Vice President Sara Duterte's trial on Wednesday (October 7) examining bank records. The prosecution says the records show money that should have appeared in the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) she filed jointly with her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

Prosecutors continued presenting evidence under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which covers alleged unexplained wealth, false SALNs and continued business interests. Representatives of several banks testified on at least 30 accounts held by the couple. Prosecutors say the accounts carry combined ending balances of about P190 million, which they allege were not declared in the SALNs. They also say Duterte reported no cash on hand or in the bank in her SALNs from 2022 to 2025.

What the bank witnesses said

Marwin Galvez, a Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) division head, said the couple have nine BPI accounts with a combined ending balance of P8 million as of 2025. He also confirmed a joint time deposit in the names of former President Rodrigo Duterte and Sara Duterte, opened in January 2010 with a principal of about P40.65 million. By early 2011, it had grown to roughly P41.7 million with interest. Prosecutors flagged a P41.7-million manager's check linked to that deposit that went unused for years and did not show up in year-end balances. They allege that joint deposits totaling P96 million were later used to buy unused manager's checks.

Atty. Niña Aguilar of Metrobank testified that the vice president's own account held P85,000 at the end of each year from 2022 to 2025. She said an account of one of the couple's minor children held more than P1 million at each year-end during that period.

Leslie Cham of Security Bank gave year-end balances for companies linked to the couple. Gencorp Industries' eight accounts totaled about P50.75 million in 2022 and about P14.5 million in 2025. Two Cale88 Food Corp. accounts, opened in August 2024 and October 2025, were closed in July 2026, the month the trial began.

Questions from the bench

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said that if the P96 million in joint time deposits existed and Duterte knew of them, the amount should be in her SALN. He said he could not find such an entry in her 2010 SALN.

Defense lawyer Michael Poa said the key phrase was "if she is aware." He said none of the time deposits or transactions bore the vice president's signature and that former President Duterte carried them out. When Senator Risa Hontiveros asked whether the former president was the real owner of the accounts, Poa said his client has no recollection of the account and denies involvement. Duterte has denied wrongdoing and calls the case politically motivated.

Background

On Day 34, presiding officer Francis Escudero said the net worth in the couple's joint SALNs from 2022 to 2025 does not match their bank transactions. He cited testimony from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) of P4.4 billion in covered and suspicious transactions from 2007 to 2025. He said the combined SALN net worth would have to be at least five times larger to explain that amount. On October 5, AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura said Carpio withdrew P41 million in six transactions in a single day. Prosecutors pointed out that the couple's 2024 SALN declared no cash on hand or in the bank.

Conviction requires the votes of two-thirds of the Senate. The trial is scheduled for 92 days.

Sources: GMA News live updates, Oct. 7 · Inquirer: Gatchalian on joint deposits · Inquirer: Cale88, Gencorp balances · Inquirer: Day 35 preview · GMA: Metrobank testimony · GMA: Escudero on Day 34 · Rappler: undeclared P190M · SunStar: Oct. 5 AMLC testimony