The Senate impeachment court will resume proceedings this week with the presentation of high-profile witnesses, including Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, as House prosecutors deepen their evidentiary push regarding Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth, undeclared assets, and commercial ties.
Proceedings on Monday will open with the conclusion of testimony from Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) Division Chief Rendell Sopeña. Following Sopeña, prosecutors plan to call Mayor Duterte to the stand, alongside Atty. Gary Samonte of the PhilHealth Regional Office XI Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat and Police Major Joe Rickson Sanggalang, Records Division Chief of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office.
Sopeña previously detailed public procurement entries involving Gencorp Industries Inc., a entity declared as a financial interest by Vice President Duterte in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs). PhilGEPS entries showed 49 government contracts worth a total of P35.878 million awarded to Gencorp during Duterte’s tenure in the executive branch. This included 15 contracts valued at P34.217 million from the Davao City local government, 33 contracts worth P1.331 million from PhilHealth Region XI, and one contract worth P330,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Region XI.
House Lead Prosecutor and Batangas Representative Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro cited Article VII, Section 13 of the Constitution, which prohibits the Vice President from holding financial interests in government contracts or engaging in business enterprises during their term of office.
“The admission came from the respondent herself,” Luistro remarked, referencing Duterte’s official SALN declarations. “Please be reminded that the last subsection of Article II of the Articles of Impeachment on unexplained wealth is non-divestment of other business and financial interests.”
Mayor Duterte was issued a subpoena to appear before the trial court between September 28 and 30 to address municipal transactions executed between the Davao City government and Gencorp.
“Sana dumating dahil significant ang kanyang magiging testimony,” Luistro stated earlier.
The prosecution team confirmed plans to request that the court declare Mayor Duterte a hostile witness, which would grant prosecutors latitude to examine him using leading questions.
House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong observed that public comments from the mayor regarding Gencorp’s dealings with the local government reinforced the prosecution’s justification for his appearance.
“Mas napalakas ’yung position ng prosecution na ang kanyang magiging testimonya would be indispensable for the court to fully appreciate the case that is being leveled against the Vice President,” Alonto Adiong said.
Trillanes is slated to offer testimony on financial documentation related to the Vice President’s assets. House prosecutors previously cited Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) data detailing 663 transactions involving Duterte and her spouse, attorney Manases “Mans” Carpio, totaling approximately P6.77 billion, comprising P3.77 billion tied to Duterte and P2.99 billion associated with Carpio. Prosecutors noted that these figures represent cumulative transaction volumes rather than single-point account balances.
House Prosecutor and Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua noted that financial disclosures submitted by Trillanes during House inquiry stages were verified against AMLC records.
“Yes, mahalaga po iyong magiging testimonya ni Senator Trillanes,” Chua confirmed.
The scheduled testimonies follow the submission of baseline evidence under Article II, including historical SALN disclosures, corporate filings, and procurement reports. Duterte’s 2024 SALN declared a net worth of P88.512 million, compared to P7.25 million in 2007. Prosecutors continue to evaluate whether the growth of her financial profile aligns with lawful income sources and constitutional restrictions on executive officials.