Bicol Saro party-list congressman Ridon said on Saturday that lawmakers may seek subpoenas for Vice President Sara Duterte’s income tax returns and business records so she can explain an alleged P50-million “wealth gap” between her estimated cumulative government service salary and declared net worth.
At a news forum in Quezon City, Ridon, a member of the House Committee on Justice, raised the matter as he enumerated the possible financial documents the panel may request during the proceedings on the impeachment raps against the Vice President.
“We will not just subpoena the SALNs (State of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth) and bank transactions of Vice President Duterte and [her husband] Atty. Mans Carpio, we will also undertake subpoenas for the couple’s income tax returns, bank records, and SEC registration of all the businesses listed in the Vice President’s 2023 and 2024 SALNs,” the lawmaker said.
He said the financial documents are necessary to verify the sources of wealth declared in Duterte’s SALNs, claiming the Vice President’s declared net worth has increased significantly over the years.
The lawmaker said that Duterte registered a net worth of P7,250,497 in 2007 when she was Davao City vice mayor. It then rose to P88 million in 2024.
Ridon explained that the Vice President’s estimated cumulative salary from government service between 2007 and 2024 would only amount to roughly P30 million to P40 million.
“So, what needs to be explained by the Vice President is the gap between P30 million to P40 million and the P88 million net worth that [was] submitted in 2024,” he said, adding that the supposed P50 million “wealth gap” could be explained through other lawful income such as earnings from law practice or business interests disclosed in the Vice President’s SALN.
“This means the P50-million [difference] should be produced by these business interests, by these professional interests,” the lawmaker said.
Citing the panel’s computations, he said that Duterte’s businesses and professional activities, cited as sources of other lawful income, should have generated around P200 million to P400 million in revenue over 17 years to account for the “wealth gap.”
“The impeachment proceedings will in fact provide the Vice President the opportunity to actually explain that particular P50 million gap,” Ridon said.
In a message to GMA News Online, Atty. Michael Poa, who is part of Duterte’s legal team for the impeachment cases, said, “So as not to preempt matters, we will respond at the appropriate time.”
Last week, Duterte challenged House members that accused her of unexplained wealth to point out questionable entries in her asset statements.
Meanwhile, Ridon said that whether or not Duterte sends her formal response to the House justice panel on Monday, March 16, will determine when the hearings on the impeachment complaints take place.
“We need to watch out if she will answer on Monday because a lot of timelines will change if she doesn’t,” Ridon said.
“If the Vice President submits her answer on Monday, the determination of sufficiency in grounds and the hearing proper will commence on April 8. If she does not answer, I think the determination of sufficiency in grounds and the proper hearing can proceed as early as next week,” the lawmaker said.
On Friday, Duterte said the continuous “attacks,” referring to her impeachment cases, by the Office of the President and the House of Representatives amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East are an “insult” to the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the poor, and the Filipino families affected by the crisis.
The Vice President also called the impeachment process in the House a “fishing expedition,” arguing the request of Akbayan party-list Representative Chel Diokno to secure certain records—including her SALNs and bank records—shows a lack of sufficient evidence to warrant a case against her.
Ridon said the House is addressing the oil crisis while processing the impeachment complaints against the Vice President. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
