The banks where Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio, have accounts that do not cooperate with the House of Representatives’ investigation will be charged with contempt, House Committee on Justice chairperson and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro warned.

“Failure to obey the lawful order of the court, which includes the power of the justice committee, to compel the production of documents by way of subpoena will face the consequence of being cited in contempt,” she said.

The request for bank records was part of the additional evidence that Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno sought to obtain through subpoenas.

Luistro did not say which banks would be issued court orders by the justice panel, but reiterated that legal consequences would be pursued in the event of non-compliance.

Duterte and her husband’s bank records would be used in the investigation into one of the many allegations against the Vice President, namely, the P50 million difference between her 2024 income of P88 million and her cumulative salary of P30 to P40 million between 2007 and 2023.

VP will remain elusive

A lawyer has expressed skepticism over Duterte’s participation in the upcoming House Committee on Justice hearing on 25 March, suggesting that she might skip the session to avoid answering questions.

Dino de Leon, a member of civil group Tindig Pilipinas, said Duterte could sidestep the process and frame it as a political attack rather than a constitutional duty.

He also said Duterte’s 2028 presidential bid would derail the government’s initiatives in the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea.

“The point is, right now, Sara Duterte is also threatening to become the president. I say threatening because she has already declared, and I feel that her being in Malacañang will be the single biggest threat insofar as our initiatives in the West Philippine Sea are concerned,” De Leon said during a forum.

The lawyer explained that the Chinese government was employing a tactic called “elite capture” wherein officials and politicians are coerced to carry out narratives that seek to divide the country in terms of ideology.

He urged the public to be wary of individuals who are echoing the “rhetoric of Beijing” even within the Senate and the House of Representatives, noting that even with a credible defense and great allies, we stand no chance against China if our leaders have different goals.

Beware of scam — OVP

Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President has warned the public about fraudulent schemes claiming to offer cash assistance in the name of Duterte.

The advisory comes amid reports of online and text scams that exploit popular government figures to solicit personal information or money from unsuspecting victims.

Officials continue to remind the public to verify any announcements of government aid through official channels before responding.