VP’s defense begins amid calls for her to testify

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s lawyers face the task of disproving allegations that she amassed unexplained wealth while in office as her Senate impeachment trial resumes today, after a nearly monthlong recess and amid growing pressure for her to take the witness stand.

Senate impeachment court spokesperson Reginald Tongol said the court has already served 22 of the 24 subpoenas requested by the defense panel ahead of the presentation of their evidence.

Tongol said Suzette Balucanag-Punay, the corporate counsel of GenCorp Industries Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corp., would be the first defense witness to take the stand when the proceedings resume.

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However, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said the prosecution team received a notice that Balucanag-Punay would be unable to attend the hearing due to a scheduled magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

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“That is correct, and the anticipated date for her presentation will be on Wednesday because the subpoena issued to [Balucanag-Punay] I believe is from Monday to Wednesday. But with the excuse of having this scheduled MRI, definitely, she will not be there tomorrow,” Luistro told dzBB on Sunday.

Tongol on Saturday said in an interview with dwIZ, “She will testify on the general information sheets and audited financial statements submitted by those corporations from 2022 to 2025 according to the purpose stated by the respondent in their manifestation.”

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The defense panel had initially sought subpoenas for 25 individuals, including former law school dean Ralph Sarmiento, who declined to testify.

The recess in the trial was marked by exchanges between prosecutors and the Vice President’s camp over whether evidence established her undisclosed fortunes by failing to truthfully disclose her assets since taking office in 2022.

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Luistro said “it will be difficult” for Duterte’s lawyers to refute the records filed by the prosecutorial team and admitted by the impeachment court as evidence.

“It is difficult to dispute evidence anchored in a document submitted by none other than the respondent,” she told dzBB in Filipino on Sunday. “How do you disown your own documents? How do you contradict a document that you personally filed?”

Luistro, chief prosecutor, challenged Duterte to take the witness stand so she could personally shed light on the accusations fueling the ouster drive against her.

“The lone person who can truly explain what happened is none other than the Vice President herself,” she said.

Duterte has not attended her trial since proceedings began in July. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the effort to remove her from office as politically motivated.

“As we’ve said, if the defense is truly claiming that she committed no wrongdoing and no violation, why not come out into the open?” Luistro asked. “Take the witness stand, defend yourself.”

Asked what it would mean if the Vice President refuses to take the stand to testify, Luistro said it would show that “she is not interested in defending herself,” leaving the prosecution’s allegations unrefuted.

Public sentiment also heavily favors Duterte personally addressing the unexplained wealth charge against her, lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr., a private prosecutor and the team’s legal spokesperson, said.

“The recent stats show that if people want to hear the Vice President’s explanation, it means they see the merit and weight of the evidence we presented,” he told the Saturday News Forum in Filipino, based on a Sunday statement. “That’s precisely why they want her to address it.”

A Social Weather Stations Survey last month showed that 78 percent of Filipinos believe Duterte should testify in her trial.

Mansions, properties

Drawing on testimony from forensic financial analyst Alexander Cabrera, prosecutors claimed Duterte may have concealed at least P817.87 million in assets, though broader projections from his assessment suggest her total undisclosed wealth could top P1.5 billion.

“What is the explanation regarding the allegation of over P800 million in unexplained wealth as computed and calculated by our financial analyst?” Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon asked at the Saturday News Forum, according to a statement on Sunday.

Ridon, an impeachment prosecutor, said that as defense witnesses take the stand, they must address the claims of Duterte’s wealth and properties tied to her.

“During the presentation of witnesses, particularly these local officials from Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, it is crucial for these individuals, who are their own witnesses, to explain the mansions and properties that the NBI claims are owned by the Duterte family, specifically by our Vice President,” he said.

Among the prosecution’s evidence are land titles for two properties registered to Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, which were not listed in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

The questioned properties include a 379-square-meter parcel of land in Huna Subdivision, Davao City, purchased for P6 million in 2024, as well as a Kembali Coast property valued at about P3.45 million.

Trial schedule

Beyond properties, prosecutors also introduced bank, tax and corporate records linking Duterte to commercial ventures that they say were prohibited for officials, while zeroing in on discrepancies in her SALNs.

Tongol said after Punay, city assessors from Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, an accountant from Davao and the barangay captain of Matina Crossing would next take the witness stand.

Bank representatives are also scheduled to testify after the other defense witnesses.

Impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero earlier outlined the schedule for Duterte’s trial.

The impeachment court will hold proceedings throughout November, with full-day hearings scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, 12, 13, 19 and 20.

The Nov. 9 proceedings will be suspended at 3 p.m. to give way to the Senate plenary session before resuming trial afterward.

The same arrangement may be applied on Nov. 11, if necessary. On the other hand, a shorter hearing is scheduled on Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The trial calendar covers Nov. 9 to 13 and Nov. 19, 20, and 23. The trial will be suspended on Nov. 30, a nonworking holiday in observance of Bonifacio Day.

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Escudero noted that the impeachment court stands to lose eight available trial days this month, citing the three-week recess, budget hearings and other scheduling constraints. —With a report from Gabriel Pabico Lalu