MANILA – House prosecutor Chel Diokno emphasized the importance of financial documents and bank records in determining allegations of unexplained wealth against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying numerical evidence could reveal discrepancies that may not be apparent from a public official’s lifestyle.
During the Senate impeachment trial on Monday, October 12, Diokno discussed the significance of Article II of the impeachment complaint, which concerns allegations of unexplained wealth.
“‘Yung malinis na opisyal, walang tinatago. Ngayon, madali po kasing magpanggap ang isang opisyal na simpleng tao lang siya, kumakain lang sa karinderya, malinis, wala naman tinatago sa SALN pero pagdating po sa issue ng Article II: Unexplained wealth, dun po tayo nagkakaalaman,” Diokno said.
The prosecutor argued that determining whether a public official possesses unexplained wealth requires examining financial records rather than relying solely on appearances or witness statements.
“Dahil ang titingnan po dito ay hindi naman po mga testigo kundi mismo ‘yung mga dokumento at numero,” he explained.
Diokno cited the forensic financial analysis conducted by Atty. Alexander Cabrera, who examined records from several government agencies and financial institutions.
According to the prosecutor, Cabrera’s examination included bank records, reports from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records.
“Katulad po ng nabanggit ni Atty. Cabrera, ang tiningnan niya ay mismong bank records, mga records na galing sa AMLC, BIR records, SEC records,” Diokno said.
He then emphasized the significance of financial figures in evaluating the allegations.
“I believe may kasabihan po ang mga accountant that the numbers do not lie,” he added.
The prosecution has presented financial records as part of its effort to establish alleged discrepancies involving Duterte’s declared assets, income, and financial interests.
The defense, meanwhile, has questioned Cabrera’s methodology, the completeness of the documents he reviewed, and whether corporate financial transactions could be directly attributed to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
The impeachment court continues to examine the evidence and competing arguments concerning Article II.
The allegations of unexplained wealth remain subject to the impeachment court’s evaluation and have not been established solely by the financial figures presented during the proceedings.
