VP Duterte’s financial activity surged in public office – Diokno

MANILA, Philippines — Financial records dating back to Vice President Sara Duterte’s years as Davao City vice mayor and then mayor are directly relevant to the allegations under the second of four articles of impeachment filed against her, House prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno said on Wednesday.

During the prosecution’s oral arguments on its motion for subpoenas, Diokno cited figures from an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report that had been submitted to the House committee on justice.

Citing that report, Diokno said Duterte’s financial activity “increased significantly,” starting in 2007, when transaction values surged to P208.15 million.

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READ: Early look at VP’s tax, bank docs will avoid trial delay – Tolosa

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The report, Diokno noted, showed that her financial movements intensified between 2009 and 2013, with “consistently high totals” above P400 million, including “notable peaks” —P704.93 million in 2009, P648.58 million in 2010, P597.15 million in 2011.

He pointed out that these years coincided with Duterte’s service as a public official.

“VP Sara served as vice mayor of Davao City from 2007 to 2010. Then she served as mayor of Davao City from 2010 to 2013. From 2007 up to 2013, according to AMLC records, her financial activity went over P3 billion,” Diokno said in Filipino.

Subpoenas

Diokno said these figures explain why the prosecution asked the impeachment court to issue subpoenas for financial records covering the period before Duterte assumed the vice presidency.

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“Is this relevant to [the second] of the articles of Impeachment, which alleges, among others, that VP Sara betrayed the public trust and culpably violated the Constitution when she amassed unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income?” Diokno said.

“For the prosecution, the answer is clear: The vice president’s financial activity as vice mayor and mayor of Davao City relates directly to the main fact in issue in this case — her fitness or unfitness to serve as vice president,” he added.

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The prosecution, Diokno stressed, is not asking the Court to conclude based on the AMLC figures alone.

Instead, he said the prosecution would want the impeachment court to obtain the underlying bank records, AMLC reports, and tax documents so that it can determine the facts for itself before rendering judgment.

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“The wish of the prosecution is to bring out the whole truth so that his honorable court may decide the case based on the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” Diokno said. /atm