7 Banks, 7 Finance Firms Subpoenaed In Sara Duterte Trial

Representatives of seven banks and seven insurance and financial companies have been summoned to appear at the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, Oct. 6, as the prosecution moves to buttress its case against her, particularly her failure to fully and truthfully declare her wealth in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN.

During the proceedings on Thursday, Oct. 1, impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero allowed the issuance of subpoena to representatives of several banks and insurance companies, upon the request of prosecutors from the House of Representatives.

Ordered to appear before the impeachment court on Oct. 6 are representatives of state-run Land Bank of the Philippines and of private firms Asia United Bank, Philippine Savings Bank, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Philippine National Bank and BDO Unibank.

Also summoned are representatives of insurance companies, including Prudential Life, Allianz, Manufacturers Life, FWD Life, BPI-AIA Life, BDO Securities and BDO Life.

Lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro said the banks would be presented in the same sequence indicated in the prosecution’s subpoena request.

The defense team, for its part, has requested advance copies of any summaries or other documents that the Bureau of Internal Revenue and financial institution witnesses intend to identify during trial.

The impeachment court, meanwhile, canceled its whole-day proceedings for today, Oct. 2, to give the defense enough time to prepare for the testimony of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) executive director Ronel Buenaventura.

What should have been two whole-day trial dates starting on Thursday ended on early adjournment after the defense panel expressed its concerns over having to deal with voluminous AMLC documents, as well as with some senator judges’ concerns over confidentiality.

Caucus

Senator judges met for an hour-long caucus in the afternoon to discuss possible breach of confidentiality when the court tackles the AMLC’s bank transaction reports.

Escudero, in his ruling, said he is granting the defense panel’s request “out of abundance of caution” and to allow it to better prepare for the direct and cross- examination.

He said he informed the senator-judges during caucus of provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Act as amended, which impose prohibitions and criminal liability on reporting the AMLC’s covered transactions, as well as the penalties on the breach of confidentiality.

Escudero amended the subpoena for the AMLC witness to appear next Monday, Oct. 5, instead of today, thus giving the parties a free day today to prepare for the AMLC official’s testimony.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III expressed “strong reservations about postponing any proceedings,” saying he had expected the parties to have prepared already to address the confidentiality issue.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the AMLC law clause cited by Escudero pertains to the penal provisions against “leaking” confidential information by AMLC personnel, and that it should not stop the impeachment court from tackling the transaction reports.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano however said while he shared their concerns about the postponement, he maintained that the defense should be given enough time to prepare for the “main event in this trial, the questions about financial impropriety, graft and corruption, and the actual finances of the respondent accused.”

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said he does not have a problem with a one-day trial date delay, which he found “reasonable.”

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, cited Republic Act No. 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law, which exempts the impeachment court from the prohibition on looking into bank deposits.

House prosecutor Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, meanwhile, maintained that confidentiality rules covering AMLC records cannot shield officials from a lawful subpoena of the Senate impeachment court.

Diokno cited Section 8-A of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which restricts the disclosure of AMLC information, but said the provision was meant to prevent unauthorized leaks rather than compliance with a lawful subpoena.

At a press briefing after the trial, court spokeman Reginald Tongol said lawyers are used to “erratic” or sudden change in schedule just like what happened on Thursday.

Undeclared in SALN

Meanwhile, testimonies from two prosecution witnesses on Thursday revealed the existence of two real estate properties in Davao City under the name of the Vice President’s husband Manases Carpio but undeclared in her SALN.

The witnesses, presented by House prosecutor Rep. Keith Flores, were acting Samal Register of Deeds Marco Pineda and lawyer Kathy Florence Baldonado.

One of the properties registered in the name of Carpio is in Matina which is 379 square meter in size and worth P6 million.

Pineda testified that a P3.4 million worth property has an “active and uncancelled title” in Carpio’s name but is not in the Vice President’s SALNs even if he bought it in 2018.

When the 2018 deed of absolute sale was compared with Duterte’s 2019 SALN based on the acquisition year, location and value, witness Pineda said he could find no corresponding entry that perfectly matched the property. “Nothing matches the land described in the deed of absolute sale dated 2018,” he said.

The two properties are being presented by the House prosecution as part of its evidence under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which accuses Duterte of failing to fully and truthfully disclose her and her spouse’s assets, liabilities and net worth.

On the Matina property, Baldonado said its purchase took place in July 2024 or about the time she was about to resign as education secretary.

The witness also told the Senate impeachment court the land title also carries an annotation showing that Carpio and Duterte mortgaged the property to Philippine Savings Bank for P8 million on Aug. 27, 2024, or a month after they purchased the property for P6 million.

The prosecution moved to compare the property records with Duterte’s 2025 SALN, but found no entry.

Presiding officer Escudero said he “looked into the SALN of the VP in 2025 and does not find this particular property as one of the real properties declared.” – With Daphne Galvez