Private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan urged Vice President Sara Z. Duterte to consult her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to prepare a formal defense answering the family bank accounts questioned under Article II of her Senate impeachment trial.
Speaking at a post-trial press conference following the 39th day of proceedings, Kapunan noted that the prosecution’s decision to drop three of the four impeachment articles allows both sides to focus squarely on the remaining allegations of unexplained wealth.
“Let us remove that ‘kawawa naman ang Vice President syndrome,’” Kapunan remarked, emphasizing that public accountability and not sympathy should govern the trial. “Whose money is this? These are public funds.”
Addressing defense claims that the Vice President was unaware of accounts held solely under her husband’s name or a joint account maintained with her father, Kapunan urged Duterte to confront the financial disclosures directly rather than relying on public statements.
“She should start talking to her husband. She should start talking to her father so that she is able to explain the accounts of the father and herself,” Kapunan stated, asserting that the Vice President should begin “presenting or building up her case” instead of criticizing prosecutors and senator-judges.
The financial queries stem from the testimony of prosecution witness Atty. Alexander Cabrera, a certified public accountant and forensic examiner who calculated ₱817.87 million in allegedly undeclared wealth and income tied to Duterte, her spouse, and corporate entities from 2022 to 2025.
Kapunan also rejected claims that Duterte has been denied an opportunity to air her side, pointing out that the Vice President has held multiple press conferences in out-of-court settings where statements are not given under oath or subject to cross-examination.
“In fact, she has presented her side time and again,” Kapunan said, adding that any explanations regarding the family’s bank accounts should now be formally presented and tested against documentary evidence before the impeachment court.