House prosecution to submit evidence vs. Sara Duterte this week

The House prosecution panel will submit its formal offer of evidence in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte before Friday’s deadline, with prosecutors maintaining that financial records contradict her public image of living a simple life.

“What will be contested upon the formal offer of evidence is the admissibility of evidence. And that is how the prosecution will conclude its presentation of evidence, by filing its formal offer of evidence," House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro of Batangas said.

"Our deadline is this coming Friday, but I think our filing will be much closer,” she added.

The prosecution’s case now rests solely on Article 2, which alleges that Duterte accumulated unexplained wealth through assets that were not declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

Luistro said the defense would have 10 days to comment on the prosecution’s formal offer before the Senate impeachment court rules on the admissibility of the evidence.

“The impeachment court is bound to rule on the admissibility given the formal offer and the comment filed by the defense. And then after that, we proceed to the defense's presentation of evidence,” she said.

The House prosecution had initially been allotted 62 trial days to present its evidence but spent only 39 days before resting its case on Oct. 13, 2026.

The House prosecution panel had earlier dropped three other articles of impeachment: Article 1, which concerned confidential funds; Article 3, which alleged bribery; and Article 4, which accused Duterte of making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.

The prosecution’s remaining case draws on testimony from lawyer and certified public accountant Alex Cabrera, who estimated that Duterte and her husband had accumulated unexplained wealth ranging from P817 million to P1.5 billion.

Cabrera based his findings on a review of financial records, including SALNs, bank transactions and deposit records, insurance payments, income tax returns and corporate records related to the couple’s business interests.

Luistro expressed confidence that the prosecution’s evidence remained strong despite the possibility that the defense would file a demurrer to evidence, seeking the dismissal of the case on the ground that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence.

“It is their prerogative to file demurrer to evidence, which means they are challenging the evidence which had been presented already by the prosecution on the ground of being weak. But the Filipino people were able to witness the evidence presented by the prosecution panel," Luistro said.

"On the contrary, they are strong, clear, convincing. I do not see the ground for filing a demurrer to evidence,” she added.

Luistro also questioned the contrast between Duterte’s public image and the couple’s business interests, citing Cabrera’s findings that GenCorp Foods Corp., a declared asset operated by the Duterte-Carpio couple, runs at least five Jollibee branches.

“Ang ipinapakita na laging larawan, iyong respondent Vice President, pumupunta dun sa tuhug-tuhug ng mga fishballs, di ba? Kumakain ng Jollibee. Iyon pala, sila ang may ari ng Jollibee,” Luistro said.

(The image always being projected is that the respondent, the Vice President, goes to those fish ball stalls, right? She eats at Jollibee. It turns out they own Jollibee.)

Duterte has denied owning the fast-food franchises.—MCG, GMA News

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