Manila: The Senate impeachment court is expected to handle the disclosure of Vice President Sara Duterte's financial information along the path taken during the impeachment trials of former president Joseph Estrada and late chief justice Renato Corona, court spokesperson Reginald Tongol said Monday. Tongol highlighted that financial information might be disclosed as far as it is relevant to the House prosecution panel's legal claims under Article II, which accuses Duterte of unexplained wealth, inaccurate asset declarations, and prohibited business interests.

According to Philippines News Agency, Tongol stated in a televised interview that the approach would likely mirror the one taken in the Estrada and Corona impeachment proceedings. This involves balancing the presentation of bank transactions with considerations of data privacy, bank secrecy, and Anti-Money Laundering Council restrictions. The Estrada trial saw Equitable PCI Bank executive Clarissa Ocampo testify on bank records without a subpoena, a precedent later cited during Corona's proceedings concerning the permissible disclosure of bank information in impeachment cases.

In Corona's trial, the Senate impeachment court issued subpoenas for specific bank records and admitted banking evidence related to Article II, which involved his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). Similarly, the current impeachment court has granted subpoenas for specified bank, tax, and AMLC records concerning Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and several entities, ruling the documents as prima facie relevant to the unexplained wealth allegations.

More than 1,800 bank, insurance, and other financial documents have been marked by the prosecution and defense in preparation for Article II. Tongol indicated that the opening witnesses are set to first establish the legal framework before prosecutors delve deeper into the financial records.

Retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang is expected to discuss standards for determining unexplained or ill-gotten wealth and asset concealment methods. Meanwhile, Office of the Ombudsman lawyer Karen Batu is anticipated to testify on SALN requirements and records. Article II accuses Duterte of accumulating wealth allegedly disproportionate to her lawful income and failing to fully and accurately disclose assets, liabilities, and business interests.