MANILA: Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte’s lawyers on Monday sought to counter allegations that she had accumulated unexplained wealth, opening their defence in a high-profile impeachment trial in which a conviction would end her hopes of becoming president.
The daughter of firebrand former leader Rodrigo Duterte has consistently been the frontrunner in opinion polls to win the presidency in 2028. Her defence must win over at least one-third of senators in the impeachment court to guarantee her political survival.
The prosecution’s case centres on allegations that Duterte amassed wealth beyond what could be explained by her declared income and assets, after it withdrew three other charges included in the impeachment complaint against her.
The defence on Monday called the first of its 24 witnesses, Jaime Adalin, an assessor in Duterte’s hometown of Davao City, to rebut what it called a “malicious and completely false” prosecution claim that a property linked to her was missing from her asset declarations.
Adalin testified about tax declarations and assessment records that the defence said supported its argument that the property had been disclosed in Duterte’s 2024 statement of assets and liabilities.
The defence plans to call accountants, bankers and corporate counsel for Duterte-linked firms as part of its case and hopes the trial can be concluded by year-end.
A forensic financial analyst who testified for the prosecution last month estimated that Duterte had more than 800 million pesos (US$12.70 million) in unexplained assets, including remittances from entities in China and Hong Kong.
Duterte has called the proceedings political harassment and denied wrongdoing.
She has stayed away from the trial since proceedings began in July, apart from a brief appearance on the second day, when she declared herself “bloodied but unbowed”.
While prosecutors have challenged Duterte to take the witness stand, defence spokesman Michael Poa said on Monday it was too early to say whether the vice-president would testify.
Her impeachment was the biggest escalation in a political conflict between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who were powerful allies when they ran on a joint ticket and swept the 2022 election before their relationship soured.
Marcos, who is limited to a single term in office, has said the impeachment is a legislative matter.
In a separate criminal case, Duterte is also accused of three counts of grave threats linked to comments she made about Marcos, the first lady and a former House speaker. She denies wrongdoing.