By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – The House prosecution panel on Monday agreed to examine new findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on properties allegedly linked to Vice President Sara Duterte to determine whether these were already covered by the PHP817.87-million wealth discrepancy presented before the Senate impeachment court.
The commitment came after Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo presented footage from an NBI press briefing showing agricultural properties with resort-like developments, raising questions about whether their actual condition matched the assets listed in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
Tulfo asked forensic expert Alexander Cabrera whether the properties, including one reportedly located in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, had been accounted for in his financial analysis.
“Hindi po ako sigurado kung nandun po ‘yan (I am not sure whether those are included),” Cabrera admitted.
He explained that photographs and videos alone were insufficient to establish whether the properties were among those already declared or included in his calculation of alleged undeclared wealth.
Cabrera said he would need to examine the corresponding transfer certificates of title, exact locations, land areas and other ownership documents before making a determination.
The expert also acknowledged that the properties shown appeared valuable because of their improvements, including swimming pools, but declined to draw conclusions without documentary verification.
Tulfo then asked House prosecutor Chel Diokno whether the panel could examine the NBI findings and compare them with the records already presented to the impeachment court.
“Sure. We will do that, Your Honor,” Diokno replied.
Diokno earlier clarified that the prosecution had copies of Duterte’s SALNs containing descriptions of declared real properties, but did not immediately confirm whether the properties featured in the NBI briefing matched those records.
Presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero, meanwhile, cautioned against equating the present appearance or estimated market value of a property with the amount required to be disclosed in a SALN.
He explained that real properties are generally reflected at their acquisition cost rather than their prevailing fair market value.
Escudero also pointed out that improvements made after acquisition do not necessarily require a corresponding increase in the property’s declared acquisition cost under existing SALN rules.
Cabrera agreed with the clarification, underscoring the need to distinguish the ownership and acquisition cost of a property from the value of improvements subsequently introduced.
The exchange introduced another layer of scrutiny into the prosecution’s financial evidence, which alleges that Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, failed to properly account for PHP817.87 million in assets and financial interests from 2022 to 2025.
Cabrera, the prosecution’s final witness under Article II of the impeachment complaint, based his findings on SALNs, income tax returns, bank records, corporate financial statements and other documents.
The NBI’s separate investigation includes examining properties allegedly associated with members of the Duterte family as authorities look into claims involving financial transactions and property acquisitions. (PNA)
PROPERTY VERIFICATION. House prosecutor Chel Diokno tells the Senate impeachment court on Monday (Oct. 12, 2026) that the prosecution panel will cross-check National Bureau of Investigation findings on properties allegedly linked to Vice President Sara Duterte against existing asset declarations and financial records. The commitment came after Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo presented footage of agricultural properties with resort-like improvements and questioned whether these were included in the PHP817.87-million alleged undeclared wealth identified by a forensic expert.
