Lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. on Wednesday questioned the credibility of the financial records cited in the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the upcoming Senate trial is likely to be shaped not only by legal arguments but also by political considerations.

Speaking on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk, Panelo disputed claims the article of impeachment on unexplained wealth was among the strongest allegations against the Vice President, saying the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) reports cited by her critics contained significant issues that could be challenged in the Senate court.

Panelo, who clarified that he is not part of Duterte’s impeachment defense team but serves as her counsel on specific matters, said comparisons between Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and the AMLC reports fail to provide a complete picture of her finances.

“It’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison,” he said.

According to Panelo, the AMLC reports reflect total covered transactions, including inflows and outflows of P500,000 and above, making it difficult to determine actual wealth based solely on the documents.

“You can’t deduct the outflows from the inflows either because the inflows and outflows covered by the AMLC reports only cover P500,000 and above for covered transactions,” he said.

Panelo also challenged the reliability of the AMLC data itself, citing what he described as a major reporting error involving accounts linked to Duterte’s husband, Mans Carpio.

“The AMLC reports’ credibility is in question because out of the P6.7 billion in transactions that were reportedly covered by these accounts in the name of the Vice President, P2 billion of that has been certified by BPI as an error or as a systems glitch,” he said.

He said Carpio’s legal team explained that a P2-million legal fee paid by a client was mistakenly recorded as a P2-billion transaction because of a banking error.

Panelo further claimed that not all accounts reflected in the AMLC records belonged to the Vice President or were required to be declared in her SALN.

“There’s also a huge possibility that the defense can prove during the Senate impeachment trial that a huge portion of that, maybe another P2 billion, was not for her to report,” he said.

The lawyer also addressed the impeachment complaint’s article concerning alleged threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Panelo said Duterte’s remarks should be viewed in the context of her earlier statements about alleged threats to her life.

“You have to see the entire video in context,” he said, noting that Duterte’s remarks raised concerns about threats made against her.

He also questioned whether the President, First Lady, or the former speaker had publicly stated that they felt threatened by Duterte’s statements.

As preparations continue for the Senate trial, Panelo said Duterte may opt not to personally attend the proceedings, noting that her appearance is not required under the rules.

“Based on how I know her, she doesn’t really think about things that way,” he said.

“She’s more focused on her priorities, which are her work as Vice President, of course her family, and more pressing issues.”

Beyond the legal merits of the impeachment case, Panelo emphasized what he described as its political dimension.

“I hope that they’re treating it as not only a legal battle but also a political battle,” he said.

While the Senate impeachment rules require the senator-judges to maintain political neutrality, Panelo said political considerations could ultimately influence the outcome.

“From what I’ve seen and the documents I’ve seen, including on Ramil Madriaga, including these unexplained wealth documents, to me any fair judge will acquit the Vice President,” he said.

He said the defense should not merely attack the prosecution’s evidence but should proactively present evidence supporting Duterte’s innocence.

“It’s going to be a political battle,” Panelo said, “so they should, in my opinion, present evidence to prove that the Vice President is innocent instead of just poking holes in the prosecution’s case.”

Panelo also raised concerns over the ongoing debates on Senate procedures and voting thresholds, warning against interpretations that could reduce the number of votes required to convict an impeached official.

“The problem with that second school of thought is that it creates this very dangerous situation where the President of the Philippines, to control the Senate, all he has to do is file non-bailable cases against members of the Senate minority or the opposition to lower the threshold,” he said.

He argued that recent political developments have altered earlier assumptions about Duterte’s chances of acquittal.

“Everyone was in agreement that there were not enough numbers to convict VP Sara in the Senate,” Panelo said. “But that has changed significantly because of these new developments.”

As the impeachment proceedings move closer to trial, Panelo said both legal arguments and political realities will shape the battle ahead, with the defense expected to challenge the evidence underpinning some of the complaint’s most serious allegations.