MANILA, Philippines — Two Davao land registration officials and an executive from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) are set to testify at the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, as prosecutors build their case on allegations of unexplained wealth.
Subpoenas were issued to Davao City Register of Deeds Kathy Florence Baldonado and Samal Deputy Register of Deeds Marco Pineda regarding land records of properties registered to Duterte’s husband, Manases “Mans” Carpio.
AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura is also scheduled to present financial records related to Article II of the impeachment complaint, which focuses on alleged unexplained wealth and inaccurate Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said the House panel was preparing voluminous documents submitted by about 10 banks following court subpoenas.
Bank representatives may be called to authenticate the records unless the defense stipulates to their authenticity.
Meanwhile, the impeachment court deferred issuing a subpoena for former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV.
Senate President Francis Escudero explained that prosecutors should first present the AMLC witness and bank records to lay a predicate for Trillanes’ testimony, though nothing prevents the panel from calling him voluntarily.
House prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon said the panel would take the court’s advice on witness sequencing under consideration.
The AMLC report previously submitted during House proceedings covers P6.7 billion in transactions, including P4.4 billion in inflows. Some account details cited in a sworn statement by Trillanes—including three transfers totaling P22.3 million allegedly made by businessman Samuel “Sammy” Uy to Duterte between 2011 and 2013—matched records obtained from the AMLC.
Trillanes, present at the Senate on Tuesday, reaffirmed his readiness to testify.
In a separate ruling Tuesday, Escudero declared that Vice President Duterte cannot be compelled to answer the prosecution's 104-item request for admission concerning her and her husband's bank and tax records, citing her constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Following a one-day procedural pause due to the cancellation of the Sept. 30 hearing, Ridon assured that preparations remain on track. The prosecution plans to call representatives from the Land Registration Authority, the AMLC, and Trillanes when trial hearings resume on Thursday and Friday.
