MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s receipt of approximately P2.14 million in private investment earnings from 2022 to 2025 did not violate constitutional restrictions on public officials, her spokesperson maintained, arguing that the income was passive and had been voluntarily disclosed in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Spokesperson Paolo Panelo defended Duterte-Carpio following testimony before the Senate impeachment court by Gencorp general counsel Suzette Punay, who disclosed that the Vice President earned the amount from an earlier P48,000 investment in Davao Bounty Times, a company subsequently absorbed by Gencorp.
Panelo insisted that Duterte-Carpio’s decision to declare the investment in her SALN demonstrated good faith and transparency, particularly because the investment would otherwise have been difficult to trace.
“Kung tutuusin, untraceable itong investment na ito, and yet the vice president, who was then mayor, was honest enough to declare this in her SALN,” Panelo said.
“Nandoon po yung good faith niya to disclose na meron siyang investment dito,” he added.
Panelo also dismissed suggestions that the earnings violated constitutional prohibitions against public officials engaging in private business activities.
He argued that the restrictions apply to active participation in managing private corporations or businesses and financial interests involving conflicts of interest, rather than passive investment income.
“Ang pinagbabawal po ng Constitution is to actively participate, manage a private corporation or a private business, and to be financially interested in any business na meron kang conflict of interest,” he said.
“Para sa akin, yung meron kang investment and you’re receiving passive investment income from these investments, hindi po yan violative of the Constitution,” he added.
The defense comes as Duterte-Carpio’s financial interests face scrutiny in the impeachment proceedings, with questions centering on whether her private earnings complied with constitutional restrictions and disclosure requirements for public officials./PN
