MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution panel is set to seek access to the bank accounts of Vice President Sara Duterte once her impeachment trial formally begins before the Senate, according to lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro.
Luistro said the prosecution team plans to request subpoenas for Duterte’s bank records and summon bank officials to testify, arguing that the impeachment proceedings would provide the proper legal venue to examine financial documents linked to the Vice President.
According to the House prosecutor, the impeachment court could allow the presentation of bank records as evidence, which she said may help establish facts relevant to the charges being pursued against Duterte. She added that the panel is optimistic that the Senate impeachment court will consider their request once the trial is underway.
The move follows months of scrutiny over alleged financial transactions involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio. During House impeachment hearings earlier this year, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) confirmed the existence of several covered and suspicious transaction reports linked to accounts associated with the Vice President and her family.
Lawmakers supporting the impeachment have argued that examining the bank records is necessary to determine whether there were discrepancies between Duterte’s declared assets and reported financial transactions. The House justice panel previously maintained that the disclosure of bank transaction information during impeachment proceedings is legally permissible.
Duterte and her allies, however, have denied allegations of wrongdoing. The Vice President previously said that all of her funds came from legitimate sources and criticized what she described as the “noise” surrounding the impeachment proceedings.
The House of Representatives earlier approved articles of impeachment against Duterte, accusing her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, and other high crimes. The prosecution panel has since been preparing for the Senate trial, including conducting mock proceedings and organizing evidence that may be presented before the impeachment court.
The Senate has yet to begin the formal trial, but House prosecutors said they are continuing preparations as they build their case against the Vice President.
