It might be fatal to the case if we do not see the official bank accounts of Sara Duterte,’ former Ateneo School of Government Dean Tony La Viña said on Saturday, adding that the bank accounts could decide the outcome of the Vice President’s trial starting on July 6.
‘[But] there are two obstacles: the impeachment court and the Supreme Court, because she would surely appeal to the Supreme Court,’ he said in a forum at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
The forum on impeachment, corruption and accountability was organized by Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance (Tama Na).
Among the accusations against the Vice President, La Viña said allegations about her unexplained wealth and misuse of confidential funds are the most important ones given her upcoming impeachment trial.
Recorded transactions
In a previous hearing by the House committee on justice regarding the impeachment complaints against the Vice President, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) told lawmakers that banks have flagged billions of pesos worth of transactions linked to Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio.
This included 33 suspicious transactions and 630 covered dealings worth P6.7 billion.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has also issued a notice of disallowance to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for P73.28 million of its confidential funds granted in 2022, according to a decision dated Aug. 8, 2024.
The COA found that the amount was spent on projects or activities that were not related to the intended purpose of the confidential fund, a decision which the commission later upheld in an April 10 ruling.
La Viña said it would be difficult to convict Duterte after her impeachment trial because it requires 16 affirmative votes from the 24 sitting senators. However, he stressed that the evidence presented during the trial would be important, noting that it could ‘change minds.’
President’s role
He noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s role in the trial will become important, recalling previous cases where votes were swayed because of influence from Malacañang.
‘The signs coming from President Marcos toward the possible votes are important,’ La Viña said, pointing out the numerous cases that are currently being faced by several senators.
This was shown in the case of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was convicted by the Senate impeachment court in 2012 for his failure to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.
According to La Viña, there were initially just 12 to 14 votes in favor of convicting Corona, prompting then President Benigno Aquino III to ‘persuade’ senators to convict the former chief justice.
‘I think there is a chance to convict Sara, but it is politically challenging, unless there is vigilance on our part and, of course, pressure on the President to actually take steps,’ La Viña noted.
To put pressure on the government, he urged the public to consider its response on upcoming developments in the impeachment trial, especially toward a possible motion to dismiss that may be filed by the Vice President.
‘We need to react quickly that this is not acceptable,’ La Viña said. INQ