House Prosecution uncovers new evidence on VP Duterte's undisclosed wealth

A member of the House Prosecution Panel on Friday revealed that they have discovered new evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte in relation to the Article of Impeachment on alleged unexplained wealth and non-disclosure of assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep Terry Ridon, lead prosecutor for the said article, said in an online interview today that they have discovered several personal properties of the Vice President that were not declared in her SALNs.

He said these were not discussed in the proceedings of the House Committee on Justice.

Ridon refised to identify the specific properties but said these were "mga pag-aari po ito na nakalagay po sa mga listahan po ng mga opisina ng pamahalaan (these are properties in the list of government offices)."

"Isa ho doon sa mga batayan noon pong unexplained wealth, yun pong non-disclosure noon pong mga pag-aari ng atin pong Pangalawang Pangulo at ng kanya pong asawa. So katulad po ng bank accounts, meron pong ilang mga pag-aari na hindi po na-disclose sa kanya pong Statement of Assets, Liabilities, Net Worth niya over the course of all the years," Ridon stated.

(One of the bases of that unexplained wealth is the non-disclosure of the assets of our Vice President and her husband. So like bank accounts, there are some assets that were not disclosed in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, Net Worth over the course of all the years.)

"I think this is of almost the same magnitude as the bank accounts," he added.

When asked the value of the said properties, Ridon replied, "These are personal properties, these are not real properties. But ito po ay papasok pa rin doon sa milyon-milyong pisong halaga. Lalo't higit hindi naman ito isa o dalawa lang kundi numerous pieces of property (But this will still come in at millions of pesos. Especially since it's not just one or two but numerous pieces of property.)."

"I think we'll get a valuation expert for it pero nasa milyong-milyong piso pa rin po yung pinag-usapan natin dito. And bukod pa doon sa halaga po niya, I think the more important point would be its non-disclosure, non-statement in the SALNs of the Vice President. And to be clear, yan po yung isa sa naging batayan ng conviction ni dating Supreme Court (Chief) Justice Renato Corona," he added.

(I think we'll get a valuation expert for it but it's still in the millions of pesos we're talking about here. And besides its value, I think the more important point would be its non-disclosure, non-statement in the SALNs of the Vice President. And to be clear, that's one of the grounds for the conviction of former Supreme Court (Chief) Justice Renato Corona.)

The prosecution panel will be calling new witnesses in relation to these new pieces of evidence.

"The only additional witnesses will be the person who will authenticate and have a good sense on this new piece of evidence," Ridon said.

"We will get someone from government to authenticate it. Kasi siyempre, the document is a government listing of specific properties. So we will get someone from government and we will also look if we can subpoena yung mga private individuals related to these transactions," he explained.

During the meetings of the House Committee on Justice, Vice President Duterte's lawyers had complained several times that the proceedings were a fishing expedition.

When asked if these new pieces of evidence can be accepted by the Senate Impeachment Court, Ridon replied, "Puwede pa rin naman. If it is going to serve the main basis for the Articles of Impeachment and what we seek to prove, pwede pa rin naman po yan. In fact, kahit po, even beyond the pre trial proceedings, pagka relevant and is something that is accepted by the Senate Impeachment Court, pwede rin pa rin po natin gawin po ito."

(It is still possible. If it is going to serve the main basis for the Articles of Impeachment and what we seek to prove, it is still possible. In fact, even beyond the pre trial proceedings, if it is relevant and is something that is accepted by the Senate Impeachment Court, we can still do it.)

Private Prosecutor Atty Lorna Kapunan likewise said in a separate online interview, "We cannot preempt the ruling of the Impeachment Court but under the rules of court and under the pre-trial order, notice of pre-trial issued by the Senate Impeachment Court, Win Gatchalian-led Senate Impeachment Court, this is allowed."

Focus on 16 votes

Meanwhile, Ridon said the House Prosecution Panel will be able to convice 16 senator-judges to convict Vice President Sara Duterte once the panel presents its evidence in the impeachment trial.

Ridon was reacting to Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian's pronouncement that 16 votes are needed for a conviction.

Article 11, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution states that "No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate."

The Senate is composed of 24 senators.

"Yan naman po yung tinitingnan pa rin po nating bilang. Ang inaasahan po ng House prosecution panel ay makapagkumbinsi ng labing-anim na Senator-judges to convict the Vice President," Ridon said in an online interview today.

"So ayan po yung focus po namin, and we're certain that as soon as we're able to present the evidence to the entirety of the Senate Impeachment Court, meron po tayo makakumbinsi at least na labing-anim na Senator judges para i-convict ang ating pangalawang pangulo," he added.

Private Prosecutor Atty Lorna Kapunan, on the other hand, said in a separate online interview that the basis of the 2/3 vote should be the number of senators who can actually participate in the impeachment trial.

It's not a function of number. It's a function of how many senator-judges will be able to hear the case, to see the witness, to appreciate the evidence. You cannot do that if you're not present. You cannot do that if you are not within the coercive powers of the impeachment court. You cannot do that if you're in jail or if you're suspended," Kapunan explained. —BAP/NB, GMA News