Sara Duterte trial opens week with bank, tax records fight
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial resumes Monday, July 20, with senator-judges set to decide whether prosecutors may compel the release of tax, bank and Anti-Money Laundering Council records tied to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
The subpoena fight is expected to shape how far the prosecution can go when the trial pivots from the grave threats article to the more document-heavy confidential funds charge.
Senator-judges are set to question both the prosecution and defense on the subpoena requests, with 10 minutes allotted per senator and arguments capped at one hour per side.
The House prosecution team is seeking records covering Duterte and Carpio's bank accounts, certified Bureau of Internal Revenue documents and AMLC reports. Prosecutors have argued that the records are relevant to the articles involving alleged unexplained wealth and the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
Malacañang earlier said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had received no request to authorize the opening of sealed BIR documents.
House prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution's position is that a subpoena does not require presidential approval. If the impeachment court rules otherwise, he said, "that is the time that we will probably have to comply."
The Monday hearing comes before the prosecution is expected to close its presentation on Article IV, which covers the alleged grave threats and inciting to sedition linked to Duterte's public remarks in October and November 2024.
National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag is expected to take the stand Tuesday as the last prosecution witness on the threats article.
If Matibag's direct and cross-examination is completed, prosecutors could begin presenting on the confidential funds article as early as Wednesday.
Article I covers P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which Duterte led until mid-2024.
Prosecutors have said the confidential funds charge will take the longest to present because it covers two offices and involves numerous documents, including cash advances, liquidation records submitted to the Commission on Audit and the COA ruling ordering P448 million returned.
The prosecution has allotted at least 31 trial dates to the confidential funds charge, about half of its total trial allocation.
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