Witness: Transactions without VP signature

Bank records presented at Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial Wednesday showed no signature from her on transactions involving a joint BPI account she held with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

BPI Central and Metro Manila branches division head Marwin Galvez told the Senate impeachment court that documents covering manager’s checks and time deposits bore Rodrigo Duterte’s signature but not Sara Duterte’s. The account was registered under “Rodrigo R. Duterte or Rodrigo R. Duterte and Sara Z. Duterte.”

“Based on the documents that you have seen, whose signature appears in the manager’s check application?” defense counsel Michael Poa asked.

“Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Galvez replied.

“And the signature of Vice President Sara Duterte, does it appear?” Poa asked.

“I did not see her signature,” Galvez said.

Presiding Officer Francis Escudero later confirmed that Sara Duterte’s signature did not appear in BPI’s inventory of pre-marked transaction documents, including those covering the opening and termination of time deposits and requests for manager’s checks.

Under BPI rules, either holder of a joint “or” account may transact independently. But Galvez confirmed that, in this case, Rodrigo Duterte could transact alone while Sara Duterte could not transact without the former president’s consent or signature.

Poa also sought to present a February 2026 letter he said he sent to BPI as Sara Duterte’s authorized representative to verify the existence of the account and other accounts.

The letter stated that the inquiry was solely for verification and should not be construed as an admission or confirmation of ownership, authority or beneficial interest in any account.

No recollection of joint account

Sen.-judge Risa Hontiveros pressed the defense on whether it was effectively pointing to Rodrigo Duterte as the person who owned and controlled a transaction involving a P41-million manager’s check.

“So, regarding this letter you sent, Attorney Poa, my understanding from what you have said so far is that the actual owner and the person who controlled the P41-million manager’s check transaction was Rodrigo R. Duterte and not Sara Duterte. Okay, is that correct?” Hontiveros asked in Filipino.

Poa said Sara Duterte did not remember the account and asked him to verify it after the accounts surfaced in congressional proceedings.

“I was asked by the Vice President to verify because she does not remember having such an account and said she had no transactions involving it,” Poa said.

“The point is, she had no participation in this,” he added.

Poa later said he did not want to prejudice Rodrigo Duterte’s legal defenses.

On Monday, AMLC executive director Ronel Buenaventura identified two transactions totaling nearly P18.9 million involving a joint Sara-Rodrigo Duterte account.

Galvez also confirmed a P40.65-million time deposit opened under their names on 22 Jan. 2010. It was renewed 12 times and reached more than P41.7 million before the proceeds were credited to a BPI settlement account in March 2011.