MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared net worth increased 13.6-fold from P7.25 million in 2007, when she entered government as Davao City vice mayor, to P98.66 million in 2025, according to her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) presented before the Senate impeachment court Tuesday.
Duterte declared a net worth of P7,250,497 in 2007, which rose to P18,493,616.65 in 2008, an increase of about 155 percent in one year.
Her declared net worth reached P98,656,131.20 in 2025, when she served as vice president.
Karen Batu, officer in charge of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division, authenticated copies of Duterte’s SALNs submitted to the agency, which serves as the repository for public officials’ declarations.
The prosecution presented the SALNs to support its Article 2 allegations that Duterte failed to fully and truthfully disclose her assets, liabilities and net worth, including those involving her husband, Manases Carpio.
Private prosecutor James Bryan Ibrahim Alih focused on the increase in Duterte’s declared wealth during her first year in public office and asked Batu whether the records showed that her net worth more than doubled.
Defense lawyer Justin Gular objected to Alih’s characterization and maintained a continuing objection to Batu’s testimony, arguing that her role should remain limited to identifying and authenticating the SALNs.
Presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero allowed Batu to testify about documents in the Ombudsman’s custody but emphasized that she was not testifying about the truth or accuracy of the declarations.
Prosecution questions stock declarations
The prosecution also questioned Duterte’s declarations of business and financial interests.
Batu said Duterte reported no shares of stock in 2007. She reported “stocks equity paid” in 2008 but listed no shares in 2009.
From 2010 to 2012, Duterte listed various business and financial interests without stating the value of her shares in those corporations.
Batu said Duterte likewise listed business interests from 2016 through 2025 without declaring share values. From 2016 to 2025, she did not declare any shares of stock in her SALNs, according to Batu.
Alih cited Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6713, which requires public officials to declare personal property and acquisition costs. He argued that shares of stock and other investments qualify as personal property.
Senator-judge Sherwin Gatchalian asked whether the absence of values for the corporations could mean Duterte’s declared net worth was understated.
Batu declined to draw that conclusion, saying the Ombudsman’s Records Division only keeps the SALNs and does not verify the information they contain.
Escudero also asked where the standard SALN form requires officials to state acquisition costs for business interests.
Batu explained that the form contains fields for acquisition costs of real and personal property but does not provide a specific field for business interests. She said officials could disclose stock acquisition costs under personal property.
Duterte stopped declaring cash in 2019
Batu also detailed Duterte’s cash declarations over the years.
Duterte reported P2 million in cash in 2007 and 2008, P2.8 million in 2009, P3.66 million in 2010, P3.93 million in 2011 and P4.32 million in 2012.
During her second stint as Davao City mayor, she declared P3.75 million in 2016, P6.37 million in 2017 and P3.8 million in 2018.
Her SALNs contained no declaration of cash on hand or cash in bank starting in 2019, Batu said.
She confirmed that Duterte also reported no cash on hand or in bank from 2021 through 2025.
Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo asked Batu to distinguish cash on hand from cash in bank. She said cash on hand refers to money physically held or immediately available to an official, while cash in bank refers to deposited funds.
Tulfo also asked whether an official could legally declare zero cash at the end of a year.
Batu said an official could report zero cash if they had no money at home or immediately available on Dec. 31.
Senator-judge Joel Villanueva asked whether officials could previously combine cash on hand and cash in bank with other assets before the Civil Service Commission issued its omnibus SALN rules in 2025.
Batu said she could speak only from her experience and had always declared the two separately.
Senator-judge Vicente Sotto III also asked about foreign currency deposits and whether officials should include them under cash on hand or cash in bank.
Batu declined to provide a legal classification and reiterated that her division only checks whether officials submit complete SALNs. It does not verify the accuracy of the information they report.
Retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang told the impeachment court Monday that officials should list cash declarations separately rather than combine them with other personal property.
Lapid asks about truthful SALNs
After hours of questions about wealth, business interests and cash declarations, Senator-judge Lito Lapid briefly lightened the proceedings.
Lapid recalled a television interview in which a lawyer allegedly said politicians and government employees do not submit truthful SALNs.
He asked Batu whether the statement was accurate.
Batu replied that she submits her true SALN.
Lapid then asked whether she was joking.
Batu said she was not.
The exchange prompted smiles inside the chamber before the court returned to the examination of Duterte’s SALNs.
