Day 25 of the impeachment trial against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, Senate Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero allows the prosecution to use Duterte’s pre-2022 SALNs to establish a financial baseline under Article II, while stressing that the older records will not create additional impeachment charges.
Vice President Sara Duterte’s SALNs from before she became vice president may be examined in her impeachment trial, but only as a reference point for assessing her finances during her current term, Senate Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero ruled on Tuesday.
Escudero stressed that the older records would not be used to add new allegations covering periods before Duterte assumed the vice presidency in 2022.
The issue surfaced as the prosecution presented Ombudsman Central Records Division Officer-in-Charge Atty. Karen Batu as its second witness under Article II, which deals with allegations of unexplained wealth, SALN discrepancies and continued business interests.
Defense counsel Justin Nicol Gular objected to the use of SALNs from 2007 to 2021, arguing that those records predated Duterte’s impeachable term.
Escudero overruled the objection, recalling the court’s earlier decision to subpoena SALNs covering 2007 to 2025 and explaining that earlier declarations could help establish Duterte’s financial starting point before her vice-presidential term.
The approach is consistent with Supreme Court jurisprudence holding that unexplained-wealth assessments should account for an official’s beginning net worth and lawful sources of income before determining whether later acquisitions are disproportionate.
The prosecution said Batu’s testimony would be used to identify and authenticate Duterte’s SALNs and trace changes in her declared assets and net worth over time.
Among the figures cited in court were declared net worth amounts of about P7.25 million in 2007, P65.31 million in 2021 and P98.66 million in 2025 for Duterte and her spouse, Atty. Manases Carpio.
Those figures, however, do not by themselves prove unexplained wealth. Any assessment would still have to consider legitimate earnings, business income, property acquisitions and other lawful sources of funds.
The defense’s continuing objection was placed on record, while the court allowed the prosecution to proceed with the older SALNs strictly for baseline purposes.
Photo caption: Ombudsman Central Records Division Officer-in-Charge Atty. Karen Batu testifies on Day 25 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial as the prosecution presents SALNs dating back to 2007 to establish a financial baseline under Article II.