MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte could be called to testify in her own impeachment trial as House prosecutors turn their focus to questions surrounding her declared wealth, financial records and business interests.
The possible appearance of Duterte before the Senate impeachment court comes as prosecutors begin presenting evidence for Article II, which alleges that she accumulated wealth disproportionate to her lawful income, failed to fully and truthfully disclose certain assets and liabilities in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), and maintained prohibited business interests while in government.
The allegations remain unproven, and Duterte’s defense has challenged the prosecution’s interpretation of the financial records.
From ₱7.25 million to ₱98.66 million
Records presented during the trial show that Duterte’s declared net worth increased from ₱7.25 million in 2007, when she entered public office as Davao City vice mayor, to ₱98.656 million in 2025, when she was already vice president.
The figures were authenticated by Karen Batu, officer in charge of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division, which keeps SALNs submitted by public officials.
The progression included:
- 2007: ₱7.25 million
- 2008: ₱18.49 million
- 2016: ₱34.90 million
- 2020: ₱56.58 million
- 2021: ₱65.31 million
- 2022: ₱71.66 million
- 2023: ₱77.51 million
- 2024: ₱88.51 million
- 2025: ₱98.66 million
GMA News reported that the records show a roughly 13.6-fold increase in Duterte’s declared net worth between 2007 and 2025.
However, the figures represent declared net worth in SALNs and, by themselves, do not establish that any wealth was unlawfully acquired.
Prosecutors are examining more than the SALNs
The prosecution’s case goes beyond the year-to-year changes in Duterte’s declared net worth.
According to the House prosecution and Philippine News Agency, prosecutors are preparing more than 1,800 financial and related documents, including bank, tax, corporate and property records. The evidence also includes financial information involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
Prosecutors have cited an Anti-Money Laundering Council report involving 663 transactions with an aggregate value of about ₱6.77 billion linked to Duterte and Carpio. Of that amount, prosecutors said approximately ₱3.77 billion was associated with Duterte and ₱2.99 billion with Carpio.
The prosecution is using these records to compare financial transactions with Duterte’s SALNs and other government records.
But ₱6.77 billion in transactions is not the same as ₱6.77 billion in wealth
An important distinction has emerged during the proceedings.
Former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang testified that money moving through an account does not automatically mean the same amount should appear as an asset in a SALN. What matters for the annual declaration includes assets and liabilities existing as of December 31 of the relevant year.
That distinction could become significant as the Senate impeachment court evaluates the prosecution’s financial evidence.
Philstar.com also reported that Duterte’s SALNs showed no declared cash on hand or cash in bank from 2019 onward, while the defense highlighted limitations in the SALN form, including the absence of a separate line for cash and a specific column for the acquisition cost of business interests.
Why prosecutors may want Duterte on the stand
House prosecutors have indicated that Duterte herself could be questioned about the financial records.
Prosecutors previously announced their intention to call the vice president, while also dropping or reducing the number of other witnesses they had initially planned to present.
The prosecution’s current presentation also includes testimony from government officials who can authenticate SALNs and corporate records. PNA reported that officials from the Office of the Ombudsman and Securities and Exchange Commission were expected to testify as the trial moved from legal principles into the examination of actual financial and corporate documents.
The House has also identified potential testimony from officials connected with the AMLC, Bureau of Internal Revenue and SEC, along with former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, among others.
The legal question now goes beyond the headline figure
The Senate impeachment court is not simply being asked to determine whether Duterte’s wealth increased.
The prosecution is seeking to establish whether her declared assets were complete and truthful, whether her wealth was disproportionate to her lawful income, and whether she maintained financial or business interests prohibited under applicable rules for public officials.
At the same time, the defense is challenging aspects of the prosecution’s evidence and questioning how financial transactions should be interpreted against the SALNs.
A former Sandiganbayan justice, Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, was presented by prosecutors to explain legal concepts involving unexplained wealth, public accountability, beneficial ownership, SALNs and financial interests. The court allowed her testimony subject to qualification and cross-examination; her testimony does not itself determine Duterte’s guilt or innocence.
What happens next?
The potential appearance of Vice President Duterte could make the unexplained-wealth phase of the impeachment trial one of the most closely watched portions of the proceedings.
If prosecutors ultimately call her, Duterte could be questioned directly about the financial records, SALNs and business interests that form the basis of Article II.
For now, however, the ₱98.66-million figure is a declared net-worth figure, not a judicial finding of unexplained or illegally acquired wealth. The Senate impeachment court will have to assess the documentary evidence, witness testimony and arguments from both sides before reaching its own determination.
The trial therefore moves into a crucial evidentiary phase: not simply how much wealth Duterte declared, but how prosecutors and the defense explain the records behind those declarations.
