Vice President Sara Duterte did not declare any cash on hand or bank deposits in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from 2019 to 2024, according to an official reading presented Wednesday during the House Committee on Justice impeachment proceedings.
The clarification came from the Office of the Ombudsman during the third hearing on the impeachment complaint against Duterte, as lawmakers examined her SALN records spanning multiple years.
Attorney Karen S. Batu from the office of the Ombudsman, reading from the submitted documents, said the 2024 SALN contained no declared cash or bank deposits.
“Reading from the 2024 SALN of the Vice President, there is no declared cash on hand or bank deposit for that year,” Batu told the committee.
House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Joel Chua sought confirmation that earlier SALNs showed declared liquid assets only up to 2018.
“So sa madaling salita yung kanya pong cash na dineclare was only from 2007 up to 2018, tama po ba?” Chua asked.
Batu responded that based on the records received, only those years reflected declared cash on hand and bank deposits.
Chua further asked whether SALNs from 2019 to 2024 also showed no declared cash or deposits.
“Based on the submitted SALNs, there is no indicated cash on hand or bank deposits,” Batu reiterated.
The exchange prompted lawmakers to raise concerns about the consistency of Duterte’s financial disclosures over time.
Rep. Leila de Lima further noted that the absence of declared liquid assets in recent SALNs contrasted with earlier filings.
“For me, the sudden and continuous absence of declaration of liquid assets, because cash on hand and cash in bank are liquid assets, despite previous declarations, raises questions on the accuracy and completeness of subsequent SALNs,” de Lima said.
The SALN disclosures formed part of the ongoing impeachment proceedings, where lawmakers are examining alleged discrepancies in public accountability documents submitted by the Vice President.
The House Committee on Justice is continuing its hearings as part of the constitutional process on the impeachment complaint.
