Sara Duterte: Prosecution in impeachment trial inventing evidence

Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the prosecution on Monday in her impeachment trial, accusing it of fabricating evidence and claiming the cases against her are falling apart.

Duterte said this after the prosecution on Friday presented a forensic financial analyst who said that she and her husband, Atty. Manases "Mans" Carpio, had unexplained wealth and undeclared assets from 2022 to 2025 worth over P817 million.

A witness from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) also testified last week that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company linked to Carpio, received P319 million from China and Hong Kong.

Transaction records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) showed that an estimated P4.4 billion went in and out of Carpio’s accounts from 2007 to 2025.

“Bumabagsak na yung kaso nila kaya binibilisan, kasi wala na silang masabi. Nag-iimbento ka ng ebidensya eh. Sa simula pa lang, yung impeachment complaint mo walang annexes, walang attached pieces of evidence,” Duterte told reporters.

(Their case is falling apart, so they are rushing things because they have nothing more to say. You’re making up evidence. From the very beginning, your impeachment complaint had no annexes or attached pieces of evidence.)

“Tapos gumawa ka, nag-imbento ka ng ebidensya. Sinubukan nila yun kay Madriaga. Bumagsak na yung bribery. Ngayon, sinubukan nila yung Grasioso. Wala na eh, bumagsak na," she added.

"Nagsisinungaling, nag-iimbento, kaya bumabagsak yung kaso, kaya nag-shift na yung narrative to China naman tayo ngayon,” she added.

(Then you made up evidence. They tried that with Madriaga, but the bribery allegation fell apart. Now they tried it with Gracioso, but that has also fallen apart. They are lying and fabricating evidence, which is why their case keeps falling apart. That is why they have now shifted the narrative to China.)

Duterte’s defense team maintained that there is no proof directly linking millions of pesos in her and her husband’s bank accounts to funds from the Chinese government.

AMLC records also did not show that China, as a country, funneled funds to Cale88.

The defense team also asserted that having recorded transactions does not automatically mean the money went directly to the Vice President and her husband.

In response, Duterte questioned the allegations and asked if doing business with China is prohibited.

"So ano ba talaga? Bawal ba talaga ang negosyo with China kasi it is a national security risk," Duterte said.

"Parang nakakahiya na nga yung drug haul na papuntang Pilipinas galing Laos and Thailand, tapos eto pa tayo na nagsasabing na naku, it’s a national security risk na mag-negosyo with China. Nagiging troublemaker of Southeast Asia tayo," she added.

(So what is it, then? Is doing business with China really prohibited because it poses a national security risk? It’s already embarrassing that we have a drug shipment bound for the Philippines from Laos and Thailand, and now we’re saying that doing business with China is a national security risk. We’re becoming the troublemaker of Southeast Asia.)

"Lahat na ay ginagawa ko kuno at lahat din ay gagawin din nila para pabagsakin ako because this is about the 2028 elections," he added.

(They claim that I’m doing all these things, and they will do everything they can to bring me down because this is all about the 2028 elections.)

The Senate Impeachment Court is currently tackling Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment on the unexplained wealth of the Vice President.

In a Sunday Super Radyo dzBB interview, House prosecution panel member and Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores said they dropped the bribery charges against the Vice President to meet its timetable for presenting evidence.

“The only reason is the timetable. That’s really what we’re looking at. We want to finish this week because we’re about to go on a one-month break. We want the defense to begin after the break so the proceedings can continue smoothly,” Flores said.

“So far, we believe the other articles have been sufficiently established and can stand on their own without the bribery article having to be tried before the impeachment court,” he added. –NB, GMA News