The prosecution panel of the House of Representatives in the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will request the Senate to subpoena her bank records to support allegations of unexplained wealth.

Manila Rep. Joel Chua, one of the 11-strong prosecution team, said Monday that only the impeachment court has the authority to compel Duterte to disclose her financial records.

"We will request the impeachment court because the only one that can issue a subpoena is the impeachment court. So, we will apply to the impeachment court to [have Duterte’s bank records] subpoenaed,” Chua told reporters in Filipino.

“This is only to make our evidence even stronger. This is in the SALN (statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth), in the issue of the SALN,” he added.

Article IV of the impeachment complaint alleges that Duterte committed culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by amassing unexplained wealth and failing to declare properties in her SALN.

In December 2011, the late former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached by the House on similar grounds. He was convicted by the Senate in May 2012, with the impeachment court granting the prosecution's request to subpoena his bank accounts amid allegations of ill-gotten wealth.

Chua said the prosecution team will seek judicial enforcement to ensure compliance with the subpoena if necessary. House prosecutors are also exploring coordination with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Commission on Audit (COA) to track financial transactions that may be relevant to the case.

Under Republic Act 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law, bank records are generally confidential, but impeachment cases are an explicit exception under Section 2 of the law.

Duterte made history as the first Vice President ever impeached by Congress. The Senate is expected to begin the trial after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.

Article IV of the impeachment complaint claims that Duterte’s bank records were grossly disproportionate to her legitimate income during her terms as Davao City vice mayor (2007-2010) and mayor (2010-2013, 2016-2022).

Impeachment complaint casts doubt on income

Based on the impeachment complaint, Duterte’s SALN in 2007 was pegged at P13.9 million and rose to P18.5 in 2008 despite that the estimated annual income for the said post was only P2.04 million. Her net worth, as alleged in the complaint, more than doubled to P44.83 million in 2017 notwithstanding that the annual income of a mayor was only pegged at P2.64 million.

Moreover, the House took issue with alleged transactions amounting to over P2 billion from 2006 to 2015 in joint bank accounts of Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte was accused of receiving at least P111.6 million during the same period of 2006 to 2015 when she was still a vice mayor and mayor of Davao City.

DAILY TRIBUNE reached out to Duterte’s camp for a response but has yet to receive a reply as of press time.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes III, a staunch critic of the Dutertes, previously told a House investigation that the father and daughter received P2.4 billion in joint accounts.

Trillanes claimed that the funds were “direct bribes” from drug lords, deposited between 2006 and 2015, while they were in local office in Davao City.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte was the long-time mayor of Davao City before assuming the presidency in 2016.