MANILA — Antipolo City 1st District Rep. Ronaldo Puno believes prosecutors seeking the conviction of Vice President Sara Duterte in a possible Senate impeachment trial should focus on allegations involving “hidden wealth,” drawing comparisons to the impeachment case of former president Joseph Estrada more than two decades ago.
Puno, who also serves as House deputy speaker, said the issue was not merely about unexplained wealth but about assets allegedly concealed from public disclosure.
According to him, Duterte’s declared net worth in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) appeared inconsistent with the billions of pesos in flagged financial transactions earlier disclosed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
The Vice President reportedly declared a net worth of about P88.4 million, while AMLC findings presented during House Committee on Justice hearings allegedly showed around P6.77 billion in flagged transactions linked to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
Puno noted that proving discrepancies in SALN filings could be difficult unless supported by evidence of undeclared assets or properties.
He recalled how prosecutors in Estrada’s impeachment proceedings highlighted alleged luxury properties and other assets that were supposedly inconsistent with the former president’s declared wealth.
Puno said a similar strategy could strengthen the case against Duterte if prosecutors are able to establish proof of assets or wealth that were not reflected in official disclosures.
Estrada faced impeachment in 2000 on allegations that included bribery, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution. His Senate trial, however, was interrupted by the EDSA II uprising in 2001, which led to his removal from office.
Under impeachment rules, only one proven allegation is needed for senator-judges to convict an impeached official, which could result in removal from office and perpetual disqualification from holding public position.
Puno also questioned why no money laundering or fraud charges had allegedly been filed despite the large volume of transactions flagged by the AMLC.
The AMLC earlier disclosed that hundreds of covered and suspicious transaction reports involving Duterte and Carpio’s bank accounts had been monitored, amounting to billions of pesos in total transactions.
ia/xf
