MANILA, Philippines — House prosecution panel spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers expressed confidence that Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense would struggle to refute the evidence supporting the unexplained wealth charge against her, saying even 91 witnesses might not be enough to dispute the documents presented before the Senate impeachment court.
Barbers made the remarks after defense lawyer Michael Poa said the defense was preparing a list of up to 90 witnesses for its presentation of evidence when the impeachment trial resumes on November 9.
“Kahit siguro 91 ‘yung kanilang witnesses na iyan, which I think, I’m not really sure if the 90 witnesses na kanilang sinasabi ay witnesses doon sa apat na articles or doon sa isang article. We’re limited only to article II,” Barbers said.
“Talagang mahihirapan silang i-rebut o i-dispute ’yang mga ebidensyang ipinakikita natin sa impeachment court,” he added.
The prosecution spokesperson argued that the evidence would be difficult to dispute because, according to him, the documents originated from Duterte’s own camp and official financial institutions.
“Bakit? ’Yan pong mga dokumentong iyan at ’yang mga ebidensyang iyan ay galing po mismo sa kanila. Galing po ito mismo sa kampo ng ating Bise Presidente,” Barbers said.
PROSECUTION CITES SALNS, FINANCIAL RECORDS
Barbers pointed to Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), saying her declarations from 2022 to 2025 did not separately list cash on hand or cash in bank despite bank records allegedly showing substantial year-end balances.
He contrasted these declarations with Duterte’s earlier SALNs, which he said included cash holdings from 2007 to 2019.
“Are they going to say and dispute ’yung detalye na isinulat at sinumpaan ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo diyan sa kanyang SALN na kung saan ang isang mahalagang impormasyon diyan na walang cash on hand and cash in bank?” he asked.
The prosecution spokesperson also cited records from banks, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Office of the Ombudsman, saying the defense would need to address discrepancies between Duterte’s asset declarations and official financial records.
“So sa aking paniwala, gaya noong nabanggit ko, kahit 91 pa, mukhang mahihirapan sila ma-rebut o ma-refute ’yung mga dokumento na galing mismo sa bangko, galing sa BIR, galing sa AMLC, galing sa Ombudsman,” Barbers said.
The statements reflect the prosecution’s assessment of its evidence. The defense has yet to present its case, and the Senate impeachment court will determine how the evidence bears on the remaining charge.
DEFENSE SAYS WITNESS LIST INCLUDES RESERVEs
Poa earlier clarified that the more than 90 names identified by the defense included reserve witnesses and did not necessarily represent the number of people who would actually testify.
He said the final witness lineup would depend on the defense strategy and the evidence needed to respond to the remaining article of impeachment.
The impeachment trial is currently suspended and is scheduled to resume on November 9, when the defense is expected to begin presenting its evidence.
ONLY UNEXPLAINED WEALTH ARTICLE REMAINS
The Senate impeachment court previously accepted the prosecution’s withdrawal of three of the four original articles of impeachment against Duterte. These involved alleged misuse of confidential funds, grave threats and bribery.
Only Article II, which concerns allegations of unexplained wealth, remains. As a result, the defense will no longer need to present evidence specifically addressing the three withdrawn articles.
The narrower scope of the trial has prompted debate over the time and number of witnesses the defense may need to present. The Senate impeachment court will oversee the proceedings and assess the evidence submitted by both sides.
A statement of assets, liabilities and net worth is a required disclosure of a public official’s financial interests and obligations. In Duterte’s impeachment trial, prosecutors are relying on SALNs and other financial records to support their allegations of unexplained wealth.
The prosecution maintains that discrepancies between the vice president’s declarations and financial records raise questions that the defense must answer. Duterte’s defense is expected to present its evidence when the trial resumes.
The allegations remain to be resolved by the Senate impeachment court.