Senate sets deadline on VP Sara PNP, Unionbank bank records

Officials from the Philippine National Bank (PNB) and the UnionBank of the Philippines were ordered to complete its submission of Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial documents on Thursday, 17 September, in view of the subpoena issued by the Senate impeachment court.

Impeachment Presiding Officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero made the order Monday, as the proceedings shifted to the prosecution’s presentation on the alleged unexplained wealth of Duterte.

Escudero noted that the deadline was “non-extendible” given that PNB and UnionBank had previously requested extensions to transmit documents to the Senate.

“PNB and UnionBank are directed to submit the remaining documents on Thursday, September 17, 2026, with the reminder that this period is non-extendible,” he said during the proceedings.

The prosecution panel’s request for subpoenas on bank records and other financial documents was first granted on 20 July, with most government agencies and bank institutions submitting their records on the Duterte-Carpio thereafter.

The documents were utilized for Article II of the impeachment, which mainly concerns alleged anomalies in the income accumulated by the Vice President while holding public office.

Prior reports from the Anti-Money Laundering Council that were presented before the House Committee on Justice revealed that there was P6.7 billion covered and suspicious transactions that were recorded from the individual and joint accounts of Duterte and Carpio.

Lawmakers further flagged the supposed lack of documented cash on hand and cash in bank on the part of the Vice President as indicated in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth from 2019 to 2024.

With the proceedings currently being held at the Senate, however, prosecutors are expected to present records from the actual bank accounts and tax records of Duterte–a matter that lawmakers from the Justice panel voted against.

Aside from reminding PNB and UnionBank to comply with its subpoena, Escudero had also reminded the defense lawyers of the Vice President to submit its response to the motion of prosecutors to stipulate on the bank records that were obtained through the subpoena.

“And one final reminder on the request for admission by the counsel for the prosecution and/or the panel of prosecutors for the respondent, the deadline for submitting your comment on these 104 requests for admission is on September 23,” the senator said.

Discussion on Article II is set to proceed on Tuesday, as prosecutors are set to present Ombudsman Records Division Officer-in-Charge Atty. Karen Batu.

The impeachment court is also expected to hear the testimony of Securities and Exchange Commission executive Atty. Gerardo del Rosario the following day.