The House prosecution panel has opposed a proposal to exclude financial records prior to 2022 in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing that a full assessment of her alleged unexplained wealth requires examining the historical accumulation of her assets.
House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon raised the matter during ongoing evidence-marking proceedings before the Senate impeachment court, where both prosecution and defense teams are reviewing documents ahead of the trial scheduled to begin on July 6.
Ridon said the defense panel appears to be pushing for the exclusion of financial records covering years before Duterte assumed the vice presidency, a position he said would prevent a proper assessment of her net worth trajectory.
“I think we have to be very clear that you cannot reach P88.5 million in 2024 without starting from a particular date,” Ridon said, referring to Duterte’s declared net worth.
He added that records from 2007 to 2024 are relevant to establishing the context of her asset growth, which is central to the allegation of unexplained wealth.
“Which is why 2007 up until 2024 are relevant dates relating to the current net worth of the VP which is specifically in issue on unexplained wealth,” he said.
One of the articles of impeachment accuses Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth, placing her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) and related financial documents at the center of the dispute between the prosecution and defense.
Ridon said the prosecution’s position is that limiting scrutiny to post-2022 records would provide an incomplete picture of the vice president’s financial history.
He added that the impeachment court must be allowed to trace the progression of her assets over time in order to determine whether the increase in wealth can be sufficiently explained.
The issue stems from findings earlier presented before the House Committee on Justice, which reviewed Duterte’s SALNs from 2007 to 2024.
Those records showed her net worth rising from approximately P7.25 million in 2007 to P88.5 million in 2024, figures cited by lawmakers in support of the impeachment complaint.
The Senate impeachment court is currently conducting pre-trial proceedings, including the marking of documentary evidence, ahead of the formal trial. The House prosecution panel is expected to present financial records and witnesses as part of its case.