VP Duterte denies hidden wealth claims

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

VICE-PRESIDENT (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday rejected allegations of hidden wealth, accusing political rivals of weaponizing state institutions amid impeachment proceedings at a House of Representatives panel.

In a statement following a hearing which revealed gaps in her wealth statements and billions of suspicious bank transactions, Ms. Duterte asserted her service record is “clean.”

“I have never had a case involving misuse of public funds. All of my properties and money have been declared in my SALN (statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth),” she said in Filipino.

“Every centavo comes from legitimate sources and is backed by proper documentation.”

SALN records presented during the House Justice Committee hearing showed that no liquid assets were declared from 2019 to 2024. No liabilities were also disclosed in her SALNs beginning 2021.

In the same hearing, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said it recorded a total of 630 covered transaction reports and 33 suspicious transaction reports involving bank accounts linked to Ms. Duterte and husband, Manases R. Carpio.

AMLC also confirmed 19 of the 71 bank transactions presented by former Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, who alleged the Vice-President has billions in undisclosed bank accounts.

The former lawmaker claimed that joint accounts held between Ms. Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, contained millions in transactions and were never reflected in their SALNs.

Ms. Duterte called the accusations recycled, adding that the allegations failed to yield formal findings after nearly a decade.

“From 2016 to 2026, nothing in his narrative has changed. What has changed, however, is the machinery now backing him,” she said.

“Today, he is backed by a sitting President who must be compelled to submit to a simple drug test.”

She also criticized the House of Representatives, calling its members “law-benders;” the Commission on Audit, accusing it of timing its issuances to coincide with political attacks; and “newly installed” AMLC officials for refusing to clarify that no violations were committed and that alleged billions of pesos in bank accounts were “untrue.”

“As the administration’s use and abuse of our institutions for politics deepens, their fear of accountability becomes more evident,” she said in Filipino, referring to a multibillion-peso kickback scheme tied to flood control projects that allegedly involved government officials, lawmakers, and contractors.

Ms. Duterte’s defense team spokesman Michael T. Poa, in a separate livestreamed briefing on Thursday, said all allegations will be answered in the impeachment court, the Senate.

“The defense team is not here to lose… we’re here to show there are no anomalies in the work of the Vice-President,” he said in mixed English and Filipino. “[We’re here to] show the Filipino people the Vice-President is not corrupt.”

The House will resume its impeachment hearings on April 29.

‘LAST-MINUTE’ TRAVEL AUTHORITY

Meanwhile, Ms. Duterte changed her international travel plans following a “last-minute” travel authority issued by the Office of the President.

“I regret to inform you that the plans have since changed due to uncertainty whether I will be permitted to depart,” she said in a statement on Thursday.

According to a document on Wednesday evening confirmed by Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro, the Vice-President was scheduled to fly out of the Philippines from April 23 to May 15, visiting the Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.

“You are hereby authorized to travel… while on leave of absence, at no cost to the government,” the document, signed by Executive Ralph G. Recto on April 22, read.

Ms. Duterte said the late issuance of her travel authority pushed her to alter her plans.

“Please ensure that the necessary documents be processed and issued promptly, allowing sufficient time for travel preparations rather than only a few hours before the intended departure,” she said.

She emphasized the need to ensure confidentiality and proper handling of sensitive documents to maintain effective security arrangements.

In a separate press briefing, Ms. Castro said the Vice-President applied for a travel authority on April 14 for her April 23 flight.

It takes about five days for the Office of the President to issue travel authorities, Ms. Castro noted.

She said the Vice-President’s travel requests were always granted a day before her intended travel dates.

“The Vice-President, according to records, receives a document for her travel authority a day before her intended vacation,” Ms. Castro said in Filipino. “To say that this is a last-minute resolution or decision, it is not like that because that is always the case; normally, it happens that she is given travel authority a day before.”

The Palace hit on Ms. Duterte’s call for confidentiality, saying she is a public servant and questioning the timing of her travel amid a national energy emergency in the Philippines.

“There are things that the public should know because she is a public servant… In the midst of the crisis in the Middle East, in the midst of the billion-dollar issues that are currently involving the Vice-President and her husband,” said Ms. Castro.

She said Malacañang will only prevent Ms. Duterte from traveling if there is a hold departure order or an immigration lookout bulletin order against her.

“She is the Vice-President. She is a public servant. She says she is promoting accountability and transparency, she should be the one to know what she should do, how to explain it to the people.”

Ms. Duterte’s father is currently detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity tied to his infamous drug war.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Ms. Duterte were running mates in the 2022 presidential polls, which led to a landslide victory due to their families’ political prominence.

However, their relationship turned sour in 2024 when Ms. Duterte resigned as Mr. Marcos’ Education chief, citing personal reasons, the need for an orderly transition and “genuine concern” for teachers and youth.

She then went on a Zoom briefing where she threatened Mr. Marcos and First Lady Marie Louise A. Marcos. This served as one of her impeachment grounds.