NATION

Marriage does not make spouse joint account holder: Duterte defense

Lisa Marie Apacible · Oct 6, 2026, 6:09 PM

The Senate impeachment court resumes proceedings after a short break as prosecution witness Raquel Dela Cerna, manager of LandBank’s Davao R. Magsaysay branch, takes her oath to testify on Article II, which concerns alleged unexplained wealth, on Tuesday. Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero said Dela Cerna is the last witness to testify before the trial adjourns for the day.|Photo by Ryan Baldemor via Aram Lascano, SPPA POOL

Marriage does not make a person a joint account holder or authorized signatory to a spouse’s bank account, a LandBank branch manager testified Tuesday, as Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense sought to distinguish marital ties from legal authority over bank accounts in her impeachment trial.

Raquel Vela Cerna, manager of LandBank’s Davao Magsaysay branch, told the Senate impeachment court that the bank maintains records identifying account holders and the persons authorized to operate their accounts.

“Being married to an account holder does not make the spouse an authorized signatory for that account,” defense counsel CJ Narvasa asked.

“Yes, sir,” Cerna replied.

Cerna also confirmed that LandBank maintains account information for each individual account holder and sends statements and account notices to the address or contact details designated for that account.

The bank does not automatically send a separate copy of account notices to the account holder’s spouse, she said.

Nor does LandBank automatically notify a spouse whenever a deposit or withdrawal is made or provide the spouse with the account balance at the end of the year.

Narvasa then asked whether LandBank verifies a person’s identity and authority before releasing confidential account information.

“Yes, sir,” Cerna said.

Asked what would be required before the bank could release account information to a spouse, Cerna said LandBank requires a special power of attorney.

Cerna likewise agreed that a person does not automatically become an authorized signatory merely because he or she is married to the account holder.

She also confirmed that LandBank does not automatically give a spouse access to the other spouse’s account through online banking.

“Marriage alone does not entitle a person to obtain the other spouse’s account balance directly from the LBP, correct?” Narvasa asked.

“Yes, sir,” Cerna replied.

The prosecution presented on Monday financial records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified Monday showed about P4.4 billion in covered and suspicious transactions involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, from 2007 to 2025.

The amount covered 666 covered transaction reports and 55 suspicious transaction reports. Of the total, P1.63 billion were classified as inflows, P1.31 billion as outflows and about P1.46 billion could not be reliably classified as either.