Philippines: Impeachment trial turns to finances of VP Sara Duterte, husband Mans Carpio
Prosecutors expected to begin presenting bank records involving Duterte, husband
MANILA: Following the resolution of the voting threshold at the Philippine Senate during the impeachment proceedings of Vice President Sara Duterte, the trial is now set to move deeper into the presentation of evidence concerning alleged unexplained wealth of Duterte.
The House prosecution panel is expected to begin presenting subpoenaed bank records involving the vice president, her husband Manases Carpio and other entities as the Senate impeachment court holds longer hearings.
Prosecutors said more than 1,800 bank, insurance and other financial documents have undergone "marking" and processing ahead of their presentation.
Hearing days: The hearings are scheduled on October 1-2, October 5-9, and October 12-15, from Monday to Friday where applicable.
Current Focus: The proceedings are tackling Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which centers on allegations of unexplained wealth, false Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), and continued business interests.
Recent Proceedings: Prosecutors have presented witnesses from agencies such as the Land Registration Authority (LRA) and cleared Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) financial documents for trial presentation.
They also offered to stipulate on portions of the records to reduce the number of bank representatives who would otherwise need to testify.
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What happens next
The Philippine Supreme Court's dismissal on Wednesday of petitions against the Senate voting threshold removes the immediate legal challenge to the Senate's voting formula, but it does not resolve every possible constitutional question surrounding the impeachment trial.
For now, the Senate impeachment court will proceed using its Sept. 23 interpretation.
If 20 senator-judges remain "legally and factually capable" of participating at the time of judgment, 14 votes would constitute two-thirds.
If the number of participating senator-judges changes, the required number could change accordingly.
The result is that the final conviction threshold is not permanently fixed at 16 votes under the Senate's current interpretation.
No impeachment verdict yet
The Senate has yet to reach the verdict stage.
Its immediate task is to complete the presentation and examination of evidence, including financial records, before the senator-judges ultimately determine whether the constitutional threshold for conviction has been met.
The Supreme Court has therefore settled the immediate procedural challenge — but not by declaring the Senate's interpretation constitutional. The Senate's rule stands for now, while Duterte's impeachment trial moves forward.
