Sara Duterte trial: Paying taxes shows integrity, says financial analyst

MANILA, Philippines – After testifying on his financial review of Vice President Sara Duterte, and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio’s wealth on Friday, financial forensic analyst Atty. Alexandra B. Cabrera stated that paying one’s taxes shows integrity.

Cabrera, the expert witness of the House prosecution panel, made the statement after he presented his analysis of Duterte’s statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN); bank records, and income tax returns; financial statements from their business interests, and the reports of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

READ: VP Duterte’s total unexplained wealth at P817.87M – witness’ report

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“Masakit magbayad ng tax pero marami sa atin nagbabayad ng tax because kailangan and kasama ang pagbayad ng tax sa integridad. Integrity has a cost,” Cabrera said at the end of prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno’s direct examination.

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(Paying taxes is painful, but many of us pay taxes because we have to and paying taxes shows integrity. Integrity has a cost.)

The witness, who has 37 years of experience as a certified public accountant, did not only earn a law degree from Ateneo Law School, he also completed management training at the Harvard Business School.

Notably, he is a member of the Standing Committee on Higher Education of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, the chairman of the Justice Reform Initiative and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Multisectoral Governance Committee and the former chairman of the Integrity Initiative.

Asked by Diokno what integrity has to do with Cabrera’s financial review, Cabrera responded: “Ang pagsunod sa batas ay isa sa mga paraan kung paano ipakita ang inyong integridad. Ang pagsunod sa batas ay meron pong cost tulad ng taxes na napakalinaw na cost.”

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(Following the law is one way to show your integrity. Following the law has a cost, just like taxes, which are very clear costs.)

“Marami sa ating kababayan nagbabayad ng taxes pati mga indibidwal. Sa totoo nga nyan mas marami pa yung tax rate ng individual versus corporation. 35 percent versus 25 percent. Ang taxes nating binabayad ay nakakatulong sa ating bansa,” he continued.

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(Many of our countrymen pay taxes, including individuals. In fact, the tax rate for individuals versus corporations is even higher. 35 percent versus 25 percent. The taxes we pay help our country.)

According to his analysis, Duterte’s SALNs when she became vice president from 2022 to 2025 were “untruthful” after her and Carpio failed to report “substantial amounts of assets.”

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Based on the documents Cabrera reviewed, Duterte and Carpio had unexplained wealth worth P817.87 million from 2022 to 2025. Duterte only declared around P97 million as her net worth in 2025. /jpv