Senator-judges should consider NBI findings in Sara Duterte impeachment trial, says Chua

House prosecutor Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua on Saturday said senator-judges should consider the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regarding the properties being linked to Vice President Sara Duterte in the impeachment trial of the second highest official in the government.

At a news forum in Quezon City, Chua said that although the alleged properties of the Vice President were not highlighted in the trial, senator-judges should look into it as he believes “baka may misdeclaration dito (maybe there is misdeclaration here).”

NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier alleged that Duterte declared two properties in Catigan, Davao City. The acquisition cost was P890,000, but the assessed value was actually P40 million to P60 million. The improvements to the property were also not declared

“It should be looked into because if the declared cost was about P800,000 and was declared for agricultural use but there is a mansion, two swimming pools, and a helipad… senator-judges should also consider these because these are in the SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth) of the Vice President,” Chua said.

Other properties allegedly linked to the Duterte are Davao restaurant Prime Bistro, named under her husband lawyer Manases Carpio with an acquisition cost declared at P10 million but the assessed value was P82,000. The restaurant has a building that cost around P4.5 million, with the land value being P9.5 million, yet the declared acquisition cost was only P10 million.

Duterte’s SALN also listed a property in Don Bosco, Parañaque. The property’s market value on her SALN was P240,000, yet the acquisition cost was P2.2 million and the building was P461,760 but when assessed, it was P14,400,000.

There was also property listed in Aundanao, whose acquisition was P9 million, yet the real assessment was P19.5 million. Matibag said that there were also several undeclared improvements to the property.

Duterte on Tuesday denied ownership of the properties being investigated by the NBI that were supposedly linked to her and her family.

In a statement, the Vice President raised concern about the move of the NBI to associate the properties to her, calling it a kind of “public deception.”

Duterte on Friday also called Matibag as a "nobody" amid the agency's investigation into the properties linked to her and her family.

Matibag however said Duterte’s remark that he is a “nobody” is "true" if the basis is having mansions and receiving profit from Chinese state-owned companies.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte last May 2026 on allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.

The Senate impeachment court began the trial on July 6.

The House prosecution team on Tuesday dropped three out of the four Articles of Impeachment leveled against Duterte, saying its case will stand on Article II alone on alleged unexplained wealth due to non-full declaration of assets and non-divestment of business.

In particular, the prosecution dropped Article I on confidential funds, Article III on bribery, and Article IV on assassination plot, grave threats and inciting to sedition against the President after a week of testimonies from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, bank and insurance firm officials, as well as lawyer and accountant Alexander Cabrera ultimately concluding that the Vice President and her husband accumulated unexplained wealth worth P817 million at the least and P1.5 billion at the most. —KG, GMA News