House prosecutors to subpoena Duterte bank records in impeachment trial - lawmaker

Metro Manila, Philippines - Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank records will be subpoenaed and presented during the impeachment trial, said Manila Rep. Joel Chua, one of the impeachment prosecutors, on Monday, Feb. 10.

Chua said the House impeachment prosecutors are already preparing for the subpoena request.

“Mag-a-apply po kami sa impeachment court na ito'y ma-subpoena para lamang po ito sa mas tumibay pa 'yung mga ebidensya natin. Ito'y du'n sa issue ng SALN (statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth),” Chua said in a press briefing.

[Translation: We will ask the impeachment court to subpoena those to strengthen our evidence when it comes to the issue of SALN.]

“Sa 'min naman, gagawin lang namin 'yung sa tingin namin ay tama, based on legal,” he said.

[Translation: We are just doing what we think is right legally.]

While bank records are confidential, Chua said the impeachment court is exempted from the law.

During the House quad-committee hearing last year, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said the Duterte family has received millions of pesos of drug money.

The 11-man prosecution team is also studying reaching out to the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Commission on Audit to track the trail of public funds.

Chua said House prosecutors are reviewing existing evidence and lining up potential witnesses ahead of the convening of the impeachment court in June.

READ: June trial, special session: options in Duterte impeachment

Chua said private law firms have volunteered to help the prosecution team, and they will filter the assistance they will get.

Over 200 House members filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte for supposed mismanagement of ₱612.5-million confidential funds; bribery and corruption; unexplained wealth and failure to disclose properties and interests; alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings; destabilization; and threatening the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.