Sara Duterte impeachment trial Day 37: Bribery article dropped, financial records examined

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The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte concluded its 37th day with the prosecution wrapping up the presentation of its last two witnesses, as well as the dropping of the bribery article.

The session on Friday resumed with the defense’s cross-examination of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Office of the Commissioner's chief of staff Atty. Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez.

Defense counsel Kristine Ferrer presented to the court the letter of authority issued by the BIR to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio. While private prosecutor Erwin Matib raised that the information was supposed to be confidential, Ferrer said that her clients gave permission.

There was also a brief disagreement on when the BIR could assess and file tax records in a fraud case, which Garcia-Marquez clarified: upon the discovery of fraud, the BIR has 10 years to assess the case.

Outside of the impeachment court, House prosecutor Keith Flores confirmed that they were dropping the bribery article against Duterte, citing time constraints.

During the interjections of the senator-judges, a few raised concerns about the Duterte couple’s financial records. Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros said that a Ukrainian company remitted money to Cale88 Foods Corporation, one of the businesses linked to Carpio. Meanwhile, Senator-judge Joel Villanueva raised concern over Cale88’s P150 million in sales in 2024 while only having two workers.

One of the biggest revelations of the day, however, included the testimony of the prosecution’s last witness: forensic financial expert Alexander Cabrera. While the defense questioned why Cabrera was allowed access to confidential documents, the prosecution maintained that lawyers were allowed to make use of experts.

Cabrera then delivered a report alleging that Duterte and Carpio had P817.87 million in unexplained wealth. He had pieced together, through the various tax and financial records provided by the prosecution, that the vice president had grossly underdeclared her and her husband’s income.

The defense has yet to cross-examine Cabrera and will question him on Monday. —LDF, GMA News