Sara, Rodrigo Duterte hid P96M through unutilized manager’s checks — prosecution

VEEP. Vice President Sara Duterte addresses an event in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, in late May 2026.

Sara Duterte Facebook page

Senator-judge Vicente “Tito” Sotto III claims the practice is called 'tinikling' in banking circles

AT A GLANCE

• House prosecutors presented P96 million in manager's checks to establish a pattern of concealment involving Vice President Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte.
• Bank of the Philippine Islands confirmed a joint time deposit account for the Dutertes, which was opened in 2010 and reached P41.72 million after multiple renewals, with funds later converted into manager's checks.
• Senator-judges questioned the relevance of the transactions, with discussions on the practice of leaving manager's checks unutilized, while it was noted that the P96 million was not reflected in the Vice President's Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

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MANILA, Philippines – House prosecutors on Wednesday, October 7, presented P96 million in manager’s checks as they sought to establish a “pattern of concealment” involving the year-end balances of Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

On Day 35 of Duterte’s impeachment trial, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) division head for central Manila branches Marwin Galvez confirmed the father and daughter had a joint time deposit account opened in January 2010 with a principal amount of P40.65 million.

The account, opened at the BPI-Julia Vargas branch, was renewed 12 times and reached P41.72 million after its final rollover in February 2011.

When the time deposit matured in March 2011, a settlement account was opened and the funds were converted on the same day into a manager’s check for P41.72 million.

Defense lawyer Michael Poa initially objected to the presentation of the bank records, questioning their relevance to the case.

Senator-judge Panfilo “Ping” Lacson then asked the House prosecutors whether they were trying to establish through their direct examination a “pattern aimed at proving concealment.”

Private prosecutor James Bryan Ibrahim Alih answered in the affirmative.

“We wanted to establish a pattern,” Alih said. “Our point is that the manager’s checks being circulated did not reflect on the year-end balance because they were considered ‘floating.’”

In the interjections of Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Galvez explained that when a manager’s check is issued, the amount is deducted from the client’s account and transferred to the bank’s settlement account — an account separate from the customer’s account.

The funds will then remain in the settlement account to back the manager’s check while it is unitized. If the manager’s check remains unused for six months, the amount may be returned to the client’s account, Galvez said.

“A similar time deposit that became a manager’s check in the amount of P55 million was also running during the same years, simultaneously with this P41 million. It’s a total of P96 million,” Alih said.

The prosecution presented three more manager’s checks dated April 19, 2012 and October 17, 2012; and October 7, 2013 purchased by the Duterte patriarch. It has a total value of P41.72 million. 

‘Tinikling’

Senator-judge Bam Aquino said it was the first time he had heard of such transactions and asked Galvez whether deliberately purchasing manager’s checks and leaving them unutilized was a known practice in banking circles “to keep money.” 

Galvez said it was usual for some manager’s checks to be unutilized and requested to be returned. However, he could not determine whether some clients were deliberately purchasing manager’s checks for the purpose of having the funds returned after six months.

“I cannot answer… if some clients are purposely buying manager’s check to return it after six months,” said Galvez.

Senator-judge Vicente “Tito” Sotto III later said the practice is allegedly called “tinikling” in banking circles. Tinikling is a traditional Philippine folk dance wherein a dancer or dancers step, hop, and jump between two moving bamboo poles. 

P96 million not reflected in SALNs

Senator-judge Sherwin Gatchalian said he reviewed Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) for 2010 and 2011 but did not find the P96-million time deposit accounts in the documents.

Poa came to the defense of Duterte, saying she may have been unaware of the accounts.

“The operative word is if she’s aware… And as we demonstrated during cross, all these time deposits and transactions wala pong prima ng bise presidente (there’s no signature of the Vice President) and all off them were done by the former president,” Poa added. 

The Vice President declared zero cash in hand and bank deposits in her SALNs from 2019 to 2024.  – Rappler.com