VICE President Sara Duterte’s defense team is preparing to present its witnesses and evidence before the Senate impeachment court after the House prosecution panel concluded its presentation of witnesses.
The defense has indicated it will present a financial expert and other witnesses to challenge the prosecution’s findings, including its estimate of P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
On Friday, financial forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera testified that GenCorp Industries Inc., in which Duterte declared owning shares in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), underdeclared more than P1 billion in income over four years.
Cabrera said GenCorp, which operates five Jollibee franchises, had P1.049 billion in undeclared income, representing an average annual underdeclaration of 87 percent.
Cabrera compared GenCorp’s records with those of Cale88 Foods Corp. and Metro Chow.
He said GenCorp reported only about 10 percent to 13 percent of its income annually, raising questions about the reliability of its financial statements.
Cabrera attributed about P212 million of the undeclared income to Duterte, based on his conservative estimate that she had a 20-percent share in the company.
He also cited a discrepancy between Duterte’s SALN and GenCorp’s corporate records filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Although Duterte declared herself a GenCorp stockholder in her SALN, her name did not appear in the company’s General Information Sheet (GIS), he said.
Cabrera said other shareholders might be holding shares on Duterte’s behalf, increasing her potential ownership interest at between 20 percent and 45 percent.
He questioned whether Duterte’s absence from GenCorp’s SEC ownership records was connected to the company’s government contracts with Davao City.
Records presented before the impeachment court showed that GenCorp secured P35.88 million in government contracts from July 2022 to June 2026, including P34.22 million from Davao City under Mayor Sebastian Duterte, the vice president’s brother.
“If VP Sara’s name were listed on GenCorp’s GIS, GenCorp would not be allowed to secure a contract from the city of Davao. That is prohibited. It is a conflict of interest,” Cabrera testified.
Cabrera also questioned GenCorp’s declared capital of P1.25 million, saying its five Jollibee franchises required a combined investment of at least P175 million.
His findings on GenCorp were separate from his broader estimate of P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and unexplained wealth involving Duterte and Carpio from 2022 to 2025.
Cabrera said Duterte’s SALNs for four consecutive years were untruthful because substantial assets belonging to the couple had not been disclosed.
The defense is expected to challenge his findings when it presents its evidence.
In a related development, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the prosecution’s withdrawal of the bribery charge against Duterte could shorten the trial, particularly if the defense reduces its initial list of 30 witnesses.
In an interview with DWIZ radio, Pangilinan said a smaller witness list could mean fewer hearing days, depending on how the defense presents its case.
The prosecution withdrew Article III, which accused Duterte of bribing Department of Education (DepEd) officials to influence procurement decisions during her tenure as education secretary.
Prosecutors said the move would allow them to focus on the remaining charges.
Remaining in the impeachment complaint are Article I, involving allegations of misuse of confidential funds; Article II, concerning alleged unexplained wealth and inaccurate SALN declarations; and Article IV, involving alleged grave threats against senior government officials.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said many Filipinos were more concerned about everyday corruption and the rising cost of living than Duterte’s impeachment trial.
In a Facebook livestream on Saturday, Cayetano cited high electricity and fuel prices, rising food costs and lost income, particularly among communities affected by flooding, as more immediate concerns for ordinary Filipinos.
“Actually, impeachment is for you politicians. For us ordinary people, it’s really the day-to-day corruption,” Cayetano quoted a person he had spoken with as saying.
“And it’s really how to exist,” he added, recounting the conversation.
Cayetano said flooding had disrupted livelihoods and prevented some people from going to work, while higher fuel and electricity costs further strained household budgets.
He also cited rising tuition, daily expenses and operating costs affecting schools, families and food businesses.
Cayetano also discussed personal accountability, faith and the choices people make when confronted with difficult situations.
In another radio interview Sunday, prosecutor and Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores said the decision to drop the bribery charge was not a concession but a strategic move anchored on evidence already presented before the impeachment court.
Flores said the prosecution no longer considered it necessary to present evidence on the bribery allegations after what he described as a solid presentation under the other articles.
“If you look back — take a look at the three articles — the prosecution’s presentation was actually quite solid. So, in our view, it is no longer necessary to proceed with presenting the article on bribery,” said in English and Filipino.
Flores said the move was also intended to keep the proceedings on schedule, with the trial set to take a one-month break.
He said that even if a bribery case has been dropped, criminal charges can still be filed against the vice president before the Office of the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice.
