Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Intensifies with Financial Subpoenas

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Anti-Money Laundering Council and six major banks to submit the financial records of Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio and their associated businesses. The subpoenas cover accounts at Metropolitan Bank & Trust, Philippine Savings Bank, BPI, Security Bank, LandBank and BDO, and are deemed “reasonably described, readily identifiable, and prima facie relevant” to the case.

Prosecutors also seek the couple’s tax records, which require presidential approval, while lawmakers clarified that AMLC records do not need the president’s sign‑off. House prosecutor Terry Ridon said the prosecution will ask the Senate court whether it can request clarifications on judges‑senators’ questions after a dispute with Senator‑judge Robin Padilla.

The National Bureau of Investigation testified that its probe has expanded beyond criminal complaints to treat Duterte’s remarks about killing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a serious threat rather than mere political rhetoric. The NBI has formed a special task force to investigate the alleged assassination plot.

These developments highlight ongoing debates over financial privacy, banking reforms, and the balance between due‑process safeguards and accountability in the Philippines’ highest political offices.