Ridon: New impeachment evidence targets Sara Duterte wealth

Screengrab of Vice President Sara Duterte’s ambush interview in Davao City on June 12, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — House prosecutor Terry L. Ridon of the Ako Bicol Party-list on Friday disclosed that new evidence in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte involves assets allegedly owned by her and her husband that were not declared in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) from 2007 to 2024.

Ridon made the disclosure during the launch of Bantay Impeachment at Claret School in UP Village, Quezon City, as the House prosecution panel prepared to submit its pretrial brief before the Senate impeachment court.

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“These pieces of evidence involve properties of the Vice President and her husband that appear in the records of a particular government agency but were not listed in her SALN submissions in any year,” Ridon said in Filipino.

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“From 2007 to 2024, these properties were not declared,” he added.

More than 120 representatives from anti-corruption watchdogs, civil society organizations, people’s organizations, church groups, youth formations, and concerned citizens attended the launch of Bantay Impeachment, a citizen watch campaign promoting accountability, transparency, and public participation in the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

Organizers said the initiative comes amid public concern over uncertainties surrounding the impeachment trial, including the ongoing leadership dispute in the Senate and efforts by some political groups to delay or weaken the constitutional process.

Participants stressed that impeachment is a constitutional mechanism for ensuring public accountability and that no public official is above the law.

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The disclosure relates to the article of impeachment on alleged unexplained wealth, one of four charges transmitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate against Duterte.

The Vice President also faces articles of impeachment involving alleged misuse of public funds, bribery, and threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.

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Ridon said the evidence had not been presented during proceedings before the House Committee on Justice and would be introduced at the pretrial stage.

“This evidence was not presented during the proceedings before the Justice Committee. It is entirely new,” he said in Filipino.

“So it will be included during pretrial,” he added.

Ridon maintained that the prosecution panel may present additional evidence before the close of pretrial proceedings as long as it supports the existing articles of impeachment.

“There is nothing that prohibits the prosecution panel from presenting new evidence up to the pretrial proceedings,” he said.

“If it serves to prove the grounds stated in the articles of impeachment,” he added.

The House prosecution panel is expected to disclose details of the evidence in its pretrial brief, which will identify the documents and witnesses it intends to present before the impeachment court.

“By next week, this will already be included in the pretrial brief, so it will be disclosed with particularity,” Ridon said.

He also said both the prosecution and the defense may seek to present additional evidence after pretrial if the Senate impeachment court allows it and if the evidence is relevant and material to the case.

“As long as it is allowed by the Senate impeachment court and is relevant and material to what either the prosecution or the defense seeks to prove,” Ridon said.

Ridon credited House prosecutor Manila Rep. Joel Chua for uncovering the new evidence.

“To reiterate what was announced yesterday, there is new evidence that will be presented during the pretrial proceedings. The one who came up with this evidence for the entire impeachment prosecution panel is none other than Cong. Chua,” Ridon said.

He added that Chua’s investigative efforts led to the discovery of material that could strengthen the prosecution’s case once trial proceedings begin.

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“He knows how to look for criminals,” Ridon remarked. /dm