SINABI ni House prosecutor Terry Ridon na makakatulong ang pag-subpoena sa financial records ni Vice President Sara Duterte at asawa niya para ma-determine kung nag-accumulate siya ng unexplained wealth habang nasa pamahalaan.

“Mataas po ‘yung pag-asa ho namin na makukumbinsi namin ang korte sa darating pong Lunes,” ayon kay Ridon.

Para sa mambabatas, kailangan masilip ang fiancial records ni VP Sara para ma-establish ang financial baseline sa panahon pa na vice mayor si Duterte hnaggang maging VP.

May net worth na P88.5 million ang vice president base sa kanyang 2024 SALN, ayon sa data.

“So mahalaga po na mabuo ho natin ‘yung kabuuang litrato mula po nung nag-umpisa siya bilang vice mayor sa Davao City, naging mayor, at naging vice president.

Hindi ho tayo pwede magkaroon ng credible na pagtingin sa unexplained wealth or sa explainable wealth ng ating pong Pangalawang Pangulo kung ang pagbabatayan lang po natin ay ‘yung kasalukuyang mga taon ng termino,” ayon sa kongresista.

Kung serious ang lahat sinabi niya na: “Wala ho dapat na debate doon po sa pag-subpoena ng mga bank accounts. Ito po ay very clear exceptions sa Bank Secrecy Law. ‘Yung impeachment trial, impeachment proceedings ay specific exception sa Bank Secrecy Law.

Ridon added that the Senate’s constitutional power to subpoena evidence cannot be curtailed by confidentiality provisions governing BIR and AMLC records.

“Ang pinagbabatayan po ng kapangyarihan to subpoena ng ating Senate impeachment court ay ‘yung Constitution po mismo,” he said.

“Hindi ho pwedeng sagkaan ito ng kahit ano mang confidentiality provisions ng mere ordinary legislation.”

Ridon said the bank records could also test the accuracy of Duterte’s SALNs.

He noted that Duterte declared no cash on hand and no cash in bank in her SALNs from 2019 to 2024.

“Nakalagay po sa SALN ng ating pong Pangalawang Pangulo from 2019 to 2024, wala pong cash on hand, wala pong cash in bank,” Ridon said.

He said that if the subpoenaed records show money in those accounts during the same period, even in the smallest amount, they could establish that Duterte made false declarations in her SALNs.

“Sa event that the bank accounts are opened within the periods of 2019 to 2024 at meron pong pera, kahit piso, doon po sa mga bank accounts na ito, malinaw po ito na pagsisinungaling sa kanyang SALN,” he said.

“Malinaw po ito na SALN violation, malinaw po ito na impeachable offense, betrayal of public trust.”

Ridon said the issue mirrors the impeachment conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, when discrepancies between his SALN and his financial records became a key basis for his removal from office.

The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to hear additional oral arguments on Monday on the prosecution’s request to subpoena the subject bank, BIR and AMLC records before ruling on whether to compel their production.