MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives' prosecution lead counsel Gerville Luistro on Saturday called for a review of the country’s anti-graft, tax, money laundering and procurement laws after it was revealed during the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte that she and husband, lawyer Manases Carpio had amassed P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and income.
The Batangas 2nd District representative said Congress should determine whether existing laws needed amendments or stricter enforcement to address possible financial misconduct and conflicts of interest involving public officials.
“We need to revisit, if not amend, laws such as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, or Republic Act 3019; the Anti-Money Laundering Act; the Procurement Law; Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; and perhaps include the Securities Regulation Act and Commission on Audit rules,” Luistro said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
The House Committee on Justice chairwoman made the proposal after 37 days of impeachment proceedings against Duterte, whose trial includes allegations of unexplained wealth under Article II of the impeachment complaint.
Luistro questioned why no tax evasion complaints had been filed despite financial discrepancies presented by prosecution forensic expert Alexander Cabrera.
“I find it strange. Why has no tax evasion case been filed?” she said.
She cited P101 million in allegedly undeclared personal income, P142 million involving Cale88 Foods Corp. and Metro City Chow Food Corp., and P212 million involving GenCorp Industries Inc. The companies were linked to Duterte and Carpio in the prosecution’s presentation.
“The amount is substantial. Have we filed a tax evasion case? Have we reached the threshold?” Luistro asked.
She said lawmakers should examine the National Internal Revenue Code to determine whether clearer guidelines were needed to investigate potential tax violations.
Luistro also called for stronger coordination among the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice when financial investigations uncover possible offenses.
She said the AMLC’s responsibilities should be clarified, particularly regarding when financial findings warrant complaints or referrals to prosecutors.
Beyond the financial discrepancies, Luistro questioned 19 Davao City government contracts worth about P34 million awarded to GenCorp, in which Duterte allegedly declared a business interest. The city government was headed by her brother, Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
“We saw during the presentation of evidence that Vice President Duterte declared a business interest in GenCorp. But look what happened: 19 contracts worth around P34 million were awarded by none other than the Davao City government, headed by her own brother,” Luistro said.
She also raised discrepancies between Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) and GenCorp’s corporate filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Luistro said Congress should review safeguards under RA 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act, to prevent conflicts of interest in government contracts. She also sought clearer SALN disclosure guidelines under RA 6713 and a review of securities regulations and Commission on Audit rules.
Cabrera testified Friday that his analysis identified approximately P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and income involving Duterte and Carpio from 2022 to 2025. The prosecution presented the findings to support its allegations of unexplained wealth.
Luistro said, however, that the problem may lie not in the absence of laws but in their implementation.
“Implementation may be what is lacking. The laws may be sufficient, but implementation is what is lacking,” she said.
