The House prosecution panel will continue pursuing its impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the Senate impeachment court’s decision not to compel her to answer questions involving her bank and financial records will not derail its strategy.
House prosecutor San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Zamora said the ruling should not be viewed as a setback, despite the court sustaining Duterte’s objection to the prosecution’s request for admission covering 104 matters.
The request included questions concerning Duterte’s personal information, her husband Manases Carpio’s business interests, and the authenticity and ownership of bank records submitted during the impeachment proceedings. The defense argued that requiring Duterte to respond could violate her constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero ruled that Duterte could not be required to submit a written response to the request for admission. The court also rejected the idea that stipulations on the records could simply be imposed without the agreement of both sides.
The prosecution had withdrawn its original request and instead proposed that the defense agree to stipulations confirming that the bank records exist, were submitted by the identified financial institutions pursuant to subpoenas, and are authentic copies of records maintained by those banks.
Prosecutors said such an agreement could reduce the need to call numerous witnesses whose testimony would otherwise be required to establish the authenticity and origin of the documents. The defense, however, remains free to challenge the relevance, interpretation and evidentiary value of the records.
The bank documents are being presented in connection with Article II of the impeachment case, which involves allegations of unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband.
The Senate impeachment court’s ruling therefore affects the procedure for establishing certain facts surrounding the financial records, but prosecutors said they will continue presenting evidence through other means allowed under the impeachment proceedings.
