House prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno on Saturday said his remarks during an exchange with senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano over the subpoena for Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank records were taken out of context in a video posted online by senator-judge Pia Cayetano.

Diokno issued a statement July 25 after a clip shared by Sen. Pia Cayetano showed part of his discussion with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano regarding the request for financial documents tied to the vice president.

“With all due respect to the Senator-Judge at para hindi maligaw ang publiko, ito po ang konteksto at kumpleto na sinabi ko…,” Diokno said, reiterating that a “fishing expedition” applies only when a party seeks evidence without basis, merely hoping to uncover something.

He stressed that the prosecution’s request was supported by “probable cause,” citing records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) indicating that billions of pesos allegedly passed through accounts linked to Duterte and her husband.

“Linawin ko po: Hindi tayo nagbabakasakali lang,” Diokno said while further explaining that the bank records were sought to verify whether they match the findings in the financial intelligence reports.

Diokno also underscored that bank records can only be obtained through a court order or subpoena, noting that any prior access by the House would have violated the vice president’s rights and due process.

“Ngayong may subpoena na para sa bank records ng Bise Presidente, magagamit ito ng magkabilang panig para patunayan ang kanilang kaso,” he said.

He added that the presentation of complete evidence would allow senator-judges to decide based on the full merits of the case.

The clarification comes amid ongoing proceedings in the Senate acting as an impeachment court, where disputes over evidence and procedure have been raised by both prosecution and defense.