MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio is poised to challenge the impeachment case against her as her defense team begins presenting its evidence Monday, November 9, insisting that prosecutors failed to substantiate allegations involving hundreds of millions of pesos in unexplained wealth and questionable financial transactions.
Duterte-Carpio’s spokesperson, Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., declared that the prosecution had failed to establish its case and accused its lawyers of attempting to sway public opinion through speculation rather than evidence.
“The prosecution had its chance. It failed. On Monday, the Vice President begins her defense,” Panelo said in a statement sent to Panay News.
The defense has prepared an initial list of at least 24 witnesses as it moves to counter allegations involving approximately P817 million in unexplained wealth, questionable corporate interests and hundreds of millions of pesos in remittances.
Panelo maintained that Duterte-Carpio must be afforded due process and the opportunity to answer the accusations before any judgment is made.
“We apparently live in two worlds. One where due process and fairness still reign — where an accused is not condemned before she is heard, and where allegations must be proven with clear and convincing evidence presented in court. The other is wherever Atty. Lorna Kapunan and her colleagues have decided these rules no longer apply,” he said.
He also criticized private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan for making public statements that he claimed were intended to influence perceptions of the impeachment proceedings.
“One world seeks the truth. The other desperately tries to persuade an increasingly skeptical public with asinine sound bites built on half-truths and malicious speculation, spewed out in daily, obtrusive, and nauseating press briefings and interviews,” he added.
Panelo’s remarks came after Kapunan warned that Duterte-Carpio’s appearance as a defense witness could backfire, particularly if questioned about the alleged P817 million in unexplained wealth.
Kapunan cited discrepancies in the Vice President’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), including her declared interests in Metro City Chow Foods Corp. and GenCorp. Foods Industries Inc., which she allegedly failed to divest despite constitutional restrictions.
The prosecutor also questioned the absence of declared cash holdings in Duterte-Carpio’s SALNs from 2019 to 2025, despite testimony from bank officials concerning her deposits.
Another issue involves P776 million in remittances reportedly sent to Cale88 Foods Corporation, a banana chips company listed in the SALN of Duterte-Carpio’s husband.
Kapunan questioned why the transactions were not reflected in the couple’s joint asset declarations.
The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to reconvene at 10 a.m. Monday for the opening of the defense presentation, marking a critical stage in the proceedings as Duterte-Carpio’s lawyers seek to rebut the prosecution’s allegations./PN
