Vice President Sara Z. Duterte would face questioning from House prosecutors if her lawyers decide to present her as a witness when the Senate impeachment trial resumes on November 9, with the prosecution prepared to confront her over financial records allegedly showing unexplained wealth, undeclared assets, and prohibited business interests.
House impeachment adviser and trial spokesperson Ace Barbers welcomed the possibility of Duterte personally answering the remaining impeachment charge, stressing that the prosecution has been preparing for the defense presentation and is ready to scrutinize the explanations she might offer under oath.
“Well, kung ipipresenta nila ang Pangalawang Pangulo bilang kanilang witness, preparado ang prosecution to cross, ‘yan nga ang aming sinasabi noon pa,” Barbers said.
Barbers said hearing directly from Duterte would give prosecutors an opportunity to examine her explanations concerning the financial transactions, corporate interests, and asset declarations questioned throughout the proceedings.
“In fact, kung may pagkakataon na maimbitahan at siya mismo ang sumagot sa mga allegations thrown against her ay mas maganda at kami naman ay pinaghahandaan ang mga ebidensiyang ilalatag naman ng defense,” Barbers explained.
The prosecution has concluded its presentation of evidence under Article II, leaving Duterte’s defense team to decide whether the Vice President will personally testify or rely on other witnesses and documentary records to challenge the allegations against her.
“Matagal na ho nang naghahanda ang prosecution. In fact, ngayon as we speak, naghahanda, meron kaming mga close coordination meeting with all the public and private prosecutors,” Barbers disclosed.
The prosecution’s case includes Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), Income Tax Records (ITR), corporate filings, and bank documents, which Forensic Accounting Expert Alexander Cabrera used to identify approximately P817.87 million in allegedly unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
“We are also studying what possibly would be the evidence that will be presented by the defense. Pinaghahandaan pong mabuti ito ng prosecution,” Barbers stressed.
Barbers questioned how the defense could reconcile the documentary evidence with Duterte’s sworn declarations, particularly the alleged discrepancies between her reported cash holdings and the balances reflected in the bank records examined during the trial.
“Dapat ba magpakita rin ba sila ng isa pang SALN na merong nakalagay na doon cash, cash on hand tsaka cash in bank?” Barbers asked.
Human rights lawyer Dino de Leon, a convenor of Bantay Senado, also emphasized that the defense must have sufficient opportunity to explain the disputed records, even as his group maintained its call for Duterte’s conviction based on the evidence presented so far.
“Pagdating naman sa pananagutan hindi naman natin kailangan minamadali and Sara Duterte deserves to be heard in court,” De Leon stressed in the same news forum.
“Hintayin namin ‘yung witnesses nila at i-cross ng prosecution,” Barbers maintained, emphasizing that the panel intends to examine the defense’s evidence before the senator-judges determine whether the remaining impeachment charge warrants Duterte’s removal from office.