HOUSE lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro on Monday challenged Vice President Sara Duterte and her defense team to explain nearly P818 million in alleged unexplained wealth identified during her Senate impeachment trial, insisting that the panel remains confident in the evidence it has presented.
“There’s a saying that ‘numbers do not lie,’ and that is why the prosecution is very confident,” Luistro said in Filipino in a radio interview.
“Because this is a serious matter — the evidence presented regarding unexplained wealth is substantial — we are keen to see: how will they counter this? How will they debunk it?” she added.
The lawmaker was referring to forensic accounting expert Alexander Cabrera’s testimony identifying P817.87 million in alleged unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, from 2022 to 2025.
Cabrera noted that the amount could reach P1.5 billion under a more liberal computation, subject to applicable liabilities. His analysis covered bank records, tax returns, statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), insurance policies and corporate documents.
Cabrera’s findings included discrepancies between Duterte’s declared assets and bank balances, reported income and bank inflows, and business interests allegedly not fully disclosed in her SALNs. His analysis also covered investments in companies linked to Duterte and Carpio, including GenCorp Industries Inc., which operates five Jollibee branches.
Luistro described his testimony as a “very strong and very clear explanation” of the financial evidence.
“How will they explain the items not declared in the SALN, the undeclared income, and the respondent vice president’s unexplained property and wealth?” Luistro said as she challenged the defense anew to provide documentary evidence addressing the discrepancies.
The congresswoman also dared the vice president to explain her investment in GenCorp Industries Inc., stressing that Duterte herself acknowledged being a shareholder as stated in her SALN and not merely alleged by the prosecution.
“Based on jurisprudence, when there is an admission, which is similar to the representation made by the respondent vice president in the SALN, that gives rise to a presumption,” she said.
“And when there is a presumption, it throws to the public official the burden to prove that this is a mistake,” she added.
Duterte denied owning Jollibee franchises while acknowledging that she had invested in the business.
GenCorp reportedly also bagged P35.9 million in government contracts after Duterte was elected vice president.
Article VII, Section 13 of the Constitution prohibits the president, vice president, Cabinet members and their deputies or assistants from directly or indirectly participating in any business or being financially interested in any government contract during their tenure. The provision also requires them to strictly avoid conflicts of interest.
The prosecution has maintained that the value of those shares and the company’s financial interests are relevant to determining whether Duterte accurately reported her assets and business investments.
The legal effect of Duterte’s disclosures and the valuation of her shares remain matters for the Senate impeachment court to assess, Luistro said.
The impeachment trial will resume on Nov. 9, when Duterte’s lawyers are expected to present evidence on Article II, the remaining impeachment charge involving alleged unexplained wealth.
The House prosecution withdrew three other articles involving confidential funds, grave threats and bribery to focus the proceedings on the wealth allegations.
