Manila: The Senate impeachment court will shift Tuesday from defining the legal boundaries of unexplained wealth to examining the actual asset declarations and corporate records tied to Vice President Sara Duterte. According to Philippines News Agency, House prosecutor Terry Ridon confirmed Monday that the prosecution will next present Office of the Ombudsman Records Division officer-in-charge Karen Batu and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Company Registration and Monitoring Department director Gerardo del Rosario.
'We are ready to present Attorney Karen Batu of the Office of the Ombudsman and Attorney Gerardo del Rosario of the SEC,' Ridon told the court. Presiding officer Francis 'Chiz' Escudero confirmed the two witnesses before adjourning Day 24 of the trial. 'Okay, so we shall have those two witnesses tomorrow,' Escudero said, setting the resumption at 10 a.m.
Their appearance marks a change in the prosecution's presentation under Article II after retired Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang spent Monday laying down legal principles on unexplained wealth, SALN disclosures, spouses' assets, and prohibited business interests.
Batu is expected to identify and authenticate records kept by the Ombudsman, including Duterte's SALNs and related documents. She earlier appeared before the House justice committee, where she testified on Duterte's submitted asset declarations. Del Rosario, meanwhile, is expected to authenticate SEC records involving corporate ownership, positions, and business interests linked to Duterte.
During the House impeachment proceedings in April, Del Rosario testified that SEC records listed 'Sara Z. Duterte' as a stockholder with 500 shares and a board member of Metro City Chow Foods Corp. from 2022 to 2025. Those records are relevant to Article II, which accuses Duterte of accumulating wealth allegedly disproportionate to her lawful income, making inaccurate SALN declarations, and maintaining prohibited business interests while in office.
The prosecution's next step could therefore move senator-judges from Monday's hypothetical and legal questions to documentary evidence that may later be weighed against the standards Cabotaje-Tang explained. Duterte's defense has disputed the allegations and will have the opportunity to cross-examine both witnesses.
