VP Sara unexplained wealth at P817M – witness

A witness in the ongoing impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte said Friday that she had a total amount of P817.87 million in unexplained wealth based on her financial records from 2022 to 2025.

Atty. Alexander Cabrera, a forensic expert, said that the amount that he found was the total in unexplained wealth that he had found based on an analysis on Duterte’s undeclared cash, personal properties, income of the couple, and the income of their business interests.

In computing the amount, Cabrera explained that he had considered the financial records of both the Vice President and her husband Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio, noting that they were covered under the Family Code which assumes the absolute community of property.

The witness likewise confirmed that he had found no established pre-nuptial agreement between the couple and did not find judicial decree of separation of property.

Among the information presented by Cabrera were amounts related to the bank accounts of the Duterte and Carpio couple which were left undeclared on the Vice President’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

The forensic expert stated that the couple’s accounts had P60.21 million in 2022, P80.7 million in 2023, P23.17 million in 2024, and P43.61 million in 2025.

In prior hearings pertaining to Duterte’s unexplained wealth, prosecutors had presented her SALNs from the said period wherein there was no indicated amount for her cash on hand and cash in bank.

Cabrera also highlighted how he observed “questionable banking behaviours” from the accounts including multiple credit card transactions both locally and internationally that he deemed “substantial.”

Of the highlighted transactions, the expert pinpointed transactions to Nike SM Davao Annex amounting to P299,142 in just a single day. A separate transaction with the footwear company in Kuala Lumpur had totaled P256,882.50.

Aside from bank accounts, Cabrera indicated in his report that the Duterte and Carpio couple had “total undeclared cash” which amounted to P60.2 million in 2022, P80.7 million in 2023, P23.2 million in 2024, and P43.6 million in 2025.

It was likewise highlighted that the couple had “undeclared other personal and real properties” which equated to P76.1 million for 2022, P3.9 million for 2023, P52 million for 2024, and P11.4 million for 2025.

Cabrera’s report also dwelled into the alleged business interests of the couple in CALE88, Metro City, and Gencorp contributing to their earnings and assets ballooning by nine digit amounts on an annual basis.

His computations placed their total undeclared earnings and assets for all considered factors at P190.6 million in 2022, P167.3 million in 2023, P264.2 million in 2024, and P195.7 million in 2025.

Findings not treated as ‘gospel truth’

During a brief pause in the direct examination of public prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno, senator-judge Panfilo “Ping” Lascson mentioned that they were not treating the findings of Cabrera as “gospel truth.”

Lacson explained that he was not immediately swayed by the figures and was open to considering any countervening arguments that the defense would present to debunk the findings.

“Just to put things into perspective…it is clear in our minds that this is an opinion, we are not taking this as gospel truth,” the senator said.

“In fact, later in cross, if you are able to pierce a hole into his opinion, his testimony, his credibility will suffer, all that he presented as far as the senator-judges were concerned,” he added.

Presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero echoed Lacson’s sentiments as it was indicated in the rules of the impeachment court that opinions of experts, the determination of the weight of such evidence would be up to the discretion of the court.

Escudero reiterated that Cabrera’s testimony was “not conclusive, not binding” and that the opinion was subject to the appreciation of senator-judges.