📷Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV showcased what he asserted were banking records at the Quad Committee hearing, alleging that members of the Duterte family, including President Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, received a total of ₱2.4 billion in deposits from 2011 to 2015.
The House prosecution team is gearing up to push the Senate Impeachment Court to issue a subpoena for Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank records to secure the impeachment of the second-highest official in the Philippines.
In a statement, Manila Rep. Joel Chua, a member of the prosecution team, said that Duterte’s financial records could be relevant to particular articles in the impeachment.
“The impeachment process allows us to complete the evidence to support our case, including subpoenaing financial records if necessary through the Senate impeachment court,” Chua said.
“The Bank Secrecy Law provides an exception for impeachment cases, and we intend to use all legal means to secure relevant documents, in addition to the evidence already present, that will aid in the trial,” he added.
The Bank Secrecy Law (Republic Act 1405) typically keeps bank records confidential. Still, Section 2 clearly states that impeachment cases are one of the specific exceptions where this confidentiality can be lifted.
The bank accounts of Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, have faced significant scrutiny. Former Senator Antonio Trillanes has been particularly outspoken, repeatedly accusing them of holding massive wealth in these accounts. His most recent claims surfaced during the quad-committee (quad-comm) hearings.
The former president has consistently resisted any attempts to investigate these accounts. This resistance famously led to a heated public outburst against Trillanes when the latter challenged him to sign a waiver allowing access to his bank records under the Bank Secrecy Law.
“If public funds were misappropriated, the Filipino people have the right to know, and as prosecutors, we must uncover any such misappropriation. We will consider requesting subpoenas for bank records and, if necessary, seek judicial enforcement to ensure compliance,” Chua said.
“We will ensure that when the trial begins, and as we proceed, we have the necessary documents, testimonies, and financial records to present. We have a strong case against the Vice President,” Chua added. (TCSP)
