Impeachment Testimony: Two Davao Properties Missing from Sara Duterte's Asset Declarations
The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte turned on October 2 to her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs). The Manila Times led its October 2 edition with prosecution evidence that two properties in Davao did not appear in the SALNs Duterte filed over the years — a concrete new example in the unexplained-wealth case against her.
Asset declarations are a basic duty of Philippine public officials, and false declarations can constitute culpable violation of the constitution and betrayal of public trust under the impeachment articles. The prosecution's Article II case argues that the declared assets of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, fall far short of what their income, bank records and business interests would suggest; testimony from Register of Deeds officials was presented precisely to check property registrations against what was declared.
The defense has questioned how the prosecution obtained its evidence and whether it is complete, stressing that Duterte did declare her business interests. Senator-judges pressed witnesses on the registration dates and declaration years of each property and account, testing whether gaps were omissions or deliberate concealment.
Running since July, the trial is the Philippines' most closely watched political event in years. Conviction would cost Duterte the vice presidency and her eligibility for 2028. The prosecution's task in the days ahead is to connect individual undeclared assets into a complete unexplained-wealth chain.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：达沃市政厅大楼正面。摄影：Patrickroque01，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
