MANILA – Lawmaker Chel Diokno on Thursday called on Vice President Sara Duterte to address a major discrepancy between her declared wealth and financial transactions identified in a report by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), describing the issue as potentially crucial to her impeachment proceedings.
Diokno said the Vice President must clarify the gap between her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and the AMLC data submitted to the House Committee on Justice.
He noted that the AMLC report revealed total inflows of about PHP2.87 billion passing through Duterte’s accounts, a figure far exceeding her declared net worth of PHP88.5 million in her 2024 SALN based on Ombudsman records.
The legislator highlighted the substantial difference between the two amounts, stressing that Duterte should explain the discrepancy before either the House panel or the Senate.
He said the figures could be considered indicative of probable cause in the context of the impeachment case.
Diokno emphasized that the matter is tied to allegations of unexplained wealth, one of the key complaints filed against the Vice President.
He also maintained that financial transactions prior to her current post remain relevant if they relate to assets that should have been disclosed.
According to him, past and present financial records must be viewed together, particularly given the magnitude of the transactions involved.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Ombudsman official Karen Batu presented a timeline of Duterte’s SALN filings from 2007 to 2024, showing steady growth in her declared net worth—from PHP7.25 million in 2007 to PHP88.51 million in 2024.
ia/xf
