During the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the House prosecution highlighted a P41.7 million manager's check linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte and the Vice President that remained unaccounted for in year-end balances due to its prolonged "floating" status.
The ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has brought to light a significant financial anomaly involving a P41.7 million manager’s check connected to both former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte. On Day 35 of the trial, a senior bank official from the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) confirmed the existence of a joint peso time deposit initiated in January 2010 under their names, which was later linked to this sizable manager’s check. The time deposit, originally P40.65 million, had undergone multiple renewals and eventually grew to P41.7 million including accrued interest by February 2011.
The prosecution outlined that, despite the manager’s check being purchased in March 2011, it remained “unutilized” and thus not reflected in the bank’s year-end financial balances due to its “floating” status—meaning the funds were effectively circulating without clear settlement for several years. The six-month validity period of a manager’s check was exceeded without use, raising questions about the handling of these funds.
Private prosecutor James Bryan Alih indicated that the prosecution intends to show this transaction and related funds were later used to acquire insurance policies worth tens of millions, suggesting complex financial movements that may have obscured the true status of the money. The defense objected to the evidence’s relevance, but the prosecution aims to establish a pattern of fund circulation not transparently recorded.
This revelation connects to previous allegations by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who accused the Vice President of failing to declare substantial time deposits and life insurance policies in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) during her tenure as Davao City vice mayor. The Duterte camp has rejected these allegations as politically motivated and repeatedly discredited them.
The financial evidence presented underscores the ongoing scrutiny of the Duterte family’s declared wealth and financial transactions amid heightened political tensions. The impeachment trial continues as new evidence and testimony are examined.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/1005092/prosecution-flags-floating-p41-7-m-manager-s-check-linked-to-rodrigo-sara-duterte/story/
