DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte resumes Monday, Nov. 9, shifting to the defense panel after prosecutors wrapped up their presentation of evidence on the sole remaining charge: unexplained wealth.
The Senate paused the trial for three weeks to focus on national budget deliberations.
When prosecutors closed their case, they dropped three charges: misuse of confidential funds, bribery of officials and grave threats against the president — leaving unexplained wealth as the only article on trial.
The move drew sharp questions from both pro- and anti-Duterte groups seeking resolution on the cases.
Article II rests on allegations that Duterte failed to declare in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) various properties and corporate shareholdings, including assets attributed to her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, who allegedly received millions through the years.
The following are the specific charges made by the prosecution under Article II:
Corporate stake
Prosecutors presented testimony from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) director Gerardo del Rosario that Duterte was a shareholder and board member of Metro City Chow Foods Corp. from 2018 to 2025. Records from 2022 to 2024 show she paid P50,000 in subscription fees, giving her a 20% ownership stake in the company.
The prosecution argued this violates Article 7, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution, which bars the president, vice president and Cabinet members from participating in any business or holding financial interest in any contract, directly or indirectly, to avoid conflicts of interest.
GenCorp links
The prosecution also questioned GenCorp Industries, which Duterte listed in her SALN although SEC records show no filings bearing her name. Instead, the company figured in transactions involving the Davao City government.
Testifying before the tribunal, Duterte’s brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, said the city government awarded GenCorp 19 food catering contracts — more than the 15 tracked by prosecutors in government records — earning the company P34.49 million.
The mayor said he had no knowledge of his sister’s corporate shares in GenCorp and that bidding and catering contracts were coursed through his assistants at City Hall.
Prosecutors then highlighted Jaime Cruz, whose name appears as GenCorp’s main shareholder and who chairs Metro City Chow Foods, where the vice president holds shares.
Pressed on the stand, Mayor Duterte admitted he and his brother, Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, are business partners with Cruz in the Chinese Gen Bee Food Corp., though he said he was unaware of Cruz’s position in GenCorp.
SEC records show GenCorp earned more than P1 billion in sales from 2021 to 2024, yet declared net income of only P2.7 million in 2023 and P3.3 million in 2024 — and no dividends to shareholders in either year.
Undeclared properties
The prosecution questioned properties acquired by Carpio that it claimed went undeclared in the vice president’s SALN. Under the law, a spouse’s property and transactions must also be reported.
Register of Deeds records showed Carpio bought land on Samal Island for P3.45 million in 2018 and a property in Juna Subdivision in Davao City for P6 million.
Prosecutors also alleged the couple failed to declare ownership of 51 firearms worth P7.2 million, including high-powered weapons.
The defense countered that the properties were declared and that discrepancies in listed addresses triggered the allegation. It also disputed whether firearm ownership qualifies as an impeachable offense.
Suspicious transactions
Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) secretariat director Ronel Buenaventura testified that the AMLC tracked 55 suspicious transactions from the couple’s bank accounts showing inconsistencies with Duterte’s SALN.
He cited P10 million in withdrawals and check encashments in December 2024 and another P41 million in August 2024, while Duterte declared zero cash on hand and in bank.
A joint account of the vice president and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, at a BPI branch recorded a P170million inter-account transfer in a single day on March 28, 2014.
Cash transactions in the couple’s accounts totaled P424 million from 2022 to 2025.
Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero questioned what those involved, noting the vice president’s annual salary is P4.2 million and her net worth rose from P71 million in 2022 to P98 million in 2025.
The AMLC also received 27 reports from banks and other institutions flagging the vice president as “the subject of suspicion” from August 2024 to January 2026, including reports of Carpio’s alleged involvement in illegal drug shipments from 2017 to 2025.
The Cale 88 question
The AMLC flagged Cale 88 Foods, a banana chip exporter registered under Carpio, as suspicious.
The company declared only two employees since its 2021 establishment and no sales early on, but the AMLC tracked P25.7 million in remittances from Chinese companies from 2022 to 2024 — later swelling to P319 million.
Its Security Bank account recorded P40 million in transactions in 2024 yet ended the year with a balance of P332,530. Two of the company’s checking accounts were closed in July 2026, just as the impeachment began.
Forensic analyst Alex Cabrera described the records as irregular: no loan documentation, no supply inventories and constant reported losses despite millions in bank transactions. He suspects Cale 88 operates as a “revolving door” for possible money laundering.
Carpio reportedly withdrew his stake in 2025, but Bureau of Internal Revenue testimony showed no record of a stock sale, leading prosecutors to presume he retains his shares.
P817 million question
Cabrera, also a lawyer, estimated Duterte’s assets and transactions may actually total P817.8 million: P143.5 million in undeclared properties, P207 million in undeclared cash, deposits traced to corporations linked to Carpio, and a practice of moving money through insurance policies and manager’s checks before filing her SALN.
Based on corporate records of GenCorp, Cale 88 Foods and Metro City Chow Foods, he computed roughly P450 million in undeclared income over four years.
Alleged violations
Closing its presentation, the prosecution argued Duterte violated the Constitution by making untruthful SALN declarations and by retaining business interests without divesting since assuming the vice presidency in 2022.
It also cited violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and the Tax Code.
The defense said it will present 25 witnesses to rebut the allegations, and has sought subpoenas for bank managers, accountants, Davao City officials and GenCorp’s lawyer. (davaotoday.com)
