VP Sara's lawyer clarifies no declared cash on hand in SALN: It's under 'others'

Vice President Sara Duterte's lawyer on Friday explained that she has no cash on hand declared in her official Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) since 2019 because it was "lumped" under the “others” line item.

Atty. Michael Poa, spokesperson for the Vice President’s defense team, made the explanation amid the absence of Duterte’s cash in bank on her SALN declarations from 2019 to 2024, which was flagged during the House justice committee hearing on the impeachment complaints against her. 

“Upon consultation with our client, the Vice President, ang nangyari kasi doon is…it was lumped doon sa ‘others.’ ‘Yung sa SALN kasi meron ‘yan—real properties, personal properties. Pagdating sa personal properties, naka-lump na lang ‘yung amount under the heading ‘others.’ ‘Yun ‘yung line item,” Poa said in an interview on Unang Hirit’s On Record segment. 

(But upon consultation with our client, the Vice President.... what happened there was, it was lumped there under ‘others.’ In the SALN, there are real properties and personal properties. Under the personal properties, the amount was just lumped under the heading ‘others.’ That’s the line item.) 

Poa said that Duterte’s cash in bank and even jewelry were also “lumped” all together under that specific line item. 

“So we'd like to clarify na… ‘yung sinasabing hindi dineklara ‘yung cash, or sinasabing ang pagkadeklara ay walang cash. Meron, actually. It's just that it was lumped lang po,” he said. 

(So we'd like to clarify the implications that the cash was not declared or no cash was declared—there was, actually. It's just that it was lumped.) 

During the House justice committee hearing, Manila 2nd District Rep. Joel Chua, who examined the Vice President’s SALN declarations from 2007 to 2024, said that Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases "Mans" Carpio has a total net worth P55 million in 2019. 

It grew to P56 million in 2020; P65 million in 2021; P71 million in 2022; P77 million in 2023; P88 million in 2024; and sans cash on hand and deposits. 

Atty. Karen Batu, SALN custodian of the Office of the Ombudsman, then confirmed that based on the submitted SALNs, there was no declared cash on hand or deposit. 

Asked why there was a change in the presentation of the Vice President’s SALNs, considering that in the years prior to 2019, her cash in bank were declared as is, Poa said that that is something they have to answer in the future. 

“But sa ngayon, ‘yun muna ang mabibigay natinng explanation kasi ‘yun ang na-explain sa atin ng kliente natin,” he added. 

(But for now, that's the only explanation we can give because that's what our client explained to us.) 

Regardless, Poa said there is no prohibition to collectively declare things, especially personal properties of the same nature, in the SALN.

He also stood firm that Duterte has "no intent to conceal anything.”

“Sa atin, gusto lang natin ipakita na walang any intent to conceal anything. Wala rin intent na hindi mag-declare ng mga bagay. In fact, the Vice President has stated in her statement na lahat ng ari-arian niya, dineclare niya, kahit nga ‘yung mga entrust na-declare niya. So, there was really no intent here to conceal anything whatsoever,” he said. 

(For us, we just want to show that there was no intent to conceal anything. There was also no intent not to declare things. In fact, the Vice President has stated in her statement that she declared all her assets, even those entrusted to her. So, there was really no intent here to conceal anything whatsoever.) 

On Thursday, Duterte maintained that her service record is “clean,” saying that every cent of her money and assets came from a legitimate source and has necessary documentation. —Giselle Ombay/ VAL, GMA News