A big and serious case is now building up around Vice President Sara Duterte — and a lawmaker says her bank records and SALN (a list of all her money, properties, and debts) might be opened up for everyone to see during her impeachment trial.
Representative Terry Ridon from Bicol Saro party-list explained that checking VP Sara’s money and property records is very important because of serious accusations against her. One of those is about having more money than what she declared and hiding some of her properties. That’s a violation of the Constitution and could mean she betrayed the public’s trust.
Ridon said the bank records could show whether her money matches her and her family’s normal income. If she has more money than she’s supposed to, that could be a big problem. He reminded the public that former Chief Justice Renato Corona was removed from office before for not telling the truth about his money in his SALN.
To make things clear, Ridon explained that this kind of financial information can legally be shown in court. He cited a Supreme Court decision in 2006 where the court allowed then-President Joseph Estrada’s bank records to be used during his trial. This was possible because the Bank Secrecy Law has two exceptions:
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When a court says so, especially in bribery or corruption cases.
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When the money is connected to the case being heard in court.
Ridon added, “All of this can be opened up when the trial starts. The prosecutors can ask the Ombudsman and the banks for her SALN and bank records. They can also ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council to check how much money came in and out of her accounts.”
But, here’s the twist: even if prosecutors ask for the records, the final decision still lies with the Senate impeachment court. The senators will vote on whether they will allow those records to be shown or not.
Ridon reminded everyone to manage expectations — which means don’t expect too much yet, because we don’t know how the Senate will vote. If they vote against revealing the bank records, it might cause public anger — but Ridon says it’s too early to guess how the public will react.
GMA News Online tried to get a comment from the Office of the Vice President about this issue.
VP Sara’s spokesperson, Ruth Castelo, responded earlier saying that VP Sara is ready to face the impeachment trial. “She’s been saying that for a while now. She wants to show her side of the story and prove her innocence. She hopes that after the trial, people will stop doubting her,” Castelo said.
This impeachment case is very serious. The House of Representatives says VP Sara committed high crimes like:
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Betraying public trust
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Breaking the Constitution
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Corruption
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And threatening to kill President Bongbong Marcos, his wife Liza, and Speaker Martin Romualdez (who is also the President’s cousin).
The whole country is now watching closely to see what happens next — and whether VP Sara’s financial records will finally be revealed.
