Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Guns, negotiated government contracts revealed

The guns were out during the 30th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

This developed after Police Major Jerickson Sangalang, Records Division chief of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO), testified that the Vice President has 22 guns under her name, while her husband, Manases Carpio, has 29 pieces of firearms.

The firearms include pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns.

House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro of Batangas noted that while the Civil Service Commission only issued more specific guidelines on how government employees should fill out their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth, it remains to be seen if the Vice President was able to declare the value of her and her husband’s firearms under their joint SALN filing since she assumed office as Vice President on June 30, 2022.

“Whether the guns were 22, 29 or 51, it is clear from the guidelines on filing SALN that these should be declared. While the defense pointed out that the 2025 SALN guidelines should only apply to the 2026 SALN, then the respondent Vice President must be able to explain how she declared these firearms prior to the issuance of the 2025 SALN guidelines,” Luistro said in a press conference.

“If it wasn’t particularly declared as firearms, which item did they declare these personal properties in their SALN?” Luistro added.

While the prosecution was allowed to present the witness to testify on the guns under the Carpio couple’s names, some senator -judges were unsure if these guns are relevant to the prosecution’s impeachment case, specifically on allegations of unexplained wealth.

Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo, however, said he was surprised that an individual can own as many guns, saying such lax laws could result in a person raising an army to topple the government.

Ahead of Sangalang’s testimony on guns, PhilGEPS Division Chief Rendell Sopeña testified that the Davao city government led by the Vice President’s brother, Mayor Sebastian Duterte, awarded P7 million worth of government contracts to GenCorp. Industries Inc. under negotiated procurement.

Sopeña’s disclosure came after he told the Senate impeachment court last week that various government agencies awarded around P35 million worth of contracts to GenCorp. Industries during Vice President Duterte’s term, with 49 contracts awarded to the company.

The Vice President listed GenCorp. as one of her business interests in her 2024 and 2025 SALNs, but corporate records of the firm filed before the Securities and Exchange Commission did not state the Vice President’s name as one of its shareholders.

Given the Vice President’s GenCorp.’s connection, Luistro said the prosecution landed three hits, like in a tong-its card game —the Vice President owning a business, operating a business, and engaging in a conflict of interest, all in violation of the Constitutional prohibition of such acts.

Three hits means three consecutive losses in the tong-its card game, a remark that was ordered removed from the records by Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero.

Earlier in the day, the House prosecution panel withdrew its request for the Vice President to admit ownership of the bank records subpoenaed by the court.

Instead, House prosecutor Chel Diokno of Akbayan party-list proposed a list of stipulations or agreements for the defense, which include: that the bank accounts exist; that the bank account records were produced by the banks pursuant to the subpoenas issued by the Senate impeachment court; and that the bank records are genuine and authentic copies of records maintained and produced by the subject banks.

“To be clear, the respondent has not made any claim that they are fake or fabricated. We will withdraw our request for admission if the respondent will agree to this,” Diokno said.

The Senate impeachment court gave the defense time to consider the prosecution’s new proposal, but lead counsel Sheila Sison manifested before the court that the Constitution and court decisions dating back to 1905 have always protected the respondent’s rights against self-incrimination, including compulsion to testify.

“If the Constitution prohibits compulsion for a respondent or accused to testify for himself or herself, the request for admission should likewise be prohibited here,” Sison added.

Sleeping or praying?

While the day started with a fiery legal tussle between Diokno and Sison, the mood turned a little light when Escudero called out Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante for being apparently asleep during the proceedings.

Luistro tried to save Abante in jest by saying the Manila lawmaker, who is a pastor, was praying for the prosecution.

In a chance interview, Abante let out a laugh and said his sleepiness was due to the unexciting question by the defense panel.

Later in the hearing, Senator Panfilo Lacson also spoke on how the defense was fielding their questions, saying nitpicking on small details was hardly making a dent in the senator-judges’ appreciation of their arguments.

Unexplained wealth witnesses

The prosecution is currently presenting evidence on Article 2, which accuses the Vice President of committing an impeachable offense by accumulating unexplained wealth through the following:

· failure to fully and truthfully disclose all her and her spouse's assets, liabilities, and net worth in her SALN, including for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024; and

· failure to divest, and instead, willfully continued all her business interests during her tenure as vice president for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian is expected to testify as a hostile witness for the prosecution either on September 29 or 30.

Other scheduled witnesses for the prosecution for October 1 to 2 include:

• Davao City Register of Deeds IV Kathy Florence Baldonado
• City of Samal Deputy Register of Deeds III Marco Pineda and
• Anti-Money Laundering Council executive director Ronel Buenaventura

Before the day ended, the Senate impeachment court issued a stern warning to House prosecutor Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro party-list over his earlier remarks against Duterte.

“The Court hereby issues a stern warning to Rep. Terry Ridon to exercise greater restraint in future public statements concerning the merits of the pending impeachment trial. This is to ensure that any decision made by senator-judges is based not on statements publicized outside the court but upon evidence and arguments presented and tested within its established parameters,” the court added.

Ridon welcomed the verdict and thanked the court for being gracious. —LDF, GMA News