MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives' prosecutors on Tuesday urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to deepen its investigation into properties linked to Vice President Sara Duterte, saying other government agencies could pursue the findings even as the impeachment prosecution prepares to conclude its presentation of evidence.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, lead prosecutor, said the panel was monitoring the NBI’s investigation into reported mansions in Davao City, a resort on Samal Island, and properties in Davao and Parañaque that were reportedly underdeclared.
“We just want to express our interest in the ongoing investigation of the NBI on the discovered properties of the respondent Vice President,” Luistro said.
“We lament that we are in the process of filing already our formal offer of documents, which signifies the prosecution's resting its case. In other words, this is where the presentation of evidence ends,” she added.
Luistro said the properties could be relevant to the unexplained-wealth article of impeachment, but the prosecution had concluded presenting its evidence on that charge. She expressed hope that other agencies could continue examining the NBI’s findings.
“We wish to express our hope also, because there are other forums and government agencies where these NBI findings can be pursued, like the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman,” Luistro said.
The panel was uncertain whether the new findings could still be formally included in the impeachment proceedings. Luistro said the discoveries might have been included had they surfaced earlier, while the prosecution was still presenting its evidence. The findings could potentially be raised during cross-examination of defense witnesses, but was unsure how they could be formally offered to support the prosecution’s case.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua questioned the reported valuation of one property, which he said was declared at P800,000 but reportedly appeared in the NBI’s findings as a large mansion with two swimming pools and a helipad.
“A property where you put a helipad means you have a helicopter,” Chua said. “So the next question is: Does this family own a helicopter? Why does their property and mansion have a helipad?”
Luistro also questioned the contrast between the family’s public image and the properties and spending cited by the prosecution. She referred to accounts of former president Rodrigo Duterte sleeping under a mosquito net and eating at ordinary eateries, as well as Sara Duterte eating street food.
“They tried to give us the impression that they were just a simple family living a simple life. But how can we characterize them as simple people if they have a mansion, ‘his and hers’ swimming pools, as the NBI said, and a helipad?” Luistro said.
She also cited credit card transactions previously presented by the prosecution, including a P200,000 restaurant bill and Nike purchases in Davao and Kuala Lumpur that she said amounted to about P300,000 in Kuala Lumpur.
“Perhaps we should look into this more. The NBI should look into this deeper so we can find out the truth behind these properties — the mansions, the resorts, and these large credit card bills,” Luistro said, acknowledging that the prosecution had already concluded presenting its evidence on unexplained wealth.
The NBI’s reported findings and the prosecution’s allegations have not, by themselves, established wrongdoing by Duterte. Luistro said other agencies could continue the investigation and pursue possible cases if their findings warranted further action.
