Metro Manila, Philippines – The defense presented – and the prosecution challenged – hundreds of thousands in purchases of Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, Manases Carpio, abroad from two witnesses in line with the lifestyle of the spouses allegedly beyond what was expected of government officials and their family members by law.
At the 43rd day of the impeachment trial on Thursday, Nov. 12, prosecutors questioned whether a ₱205,000 Tokyo dinner and a ₱256,000 shoe purchase in Malaysia were consistent with the constitutional requirement for public officials to lead modest lives.
Defense witnesses Anel Antero and Chadrin Parian offered explanations for the two transactions, saying Carpio shared the cost of the Tokyo dinner with friends and bought shoes for a youth basketball team that competed in Malaysia.
Their testimonies, however, also prompted questions from prosecutors and senator-judges about the circumstances surrounding the purchases and how they reflected on the couple’s spending.
Tokyo dinner
Defense witness Anel Antero said Carpio did not shoulder the entire bill for a dinner in Tokyo, Japan, in May 2023, as 11 people shared the cost and reimbursed Carpio for using his credit card.
Antero testified that he was among the group of friends, including lawyers and businessmen, who travelled to Japan for a vacation and attended the dinner at Ginza Inakaya.
He said the group agreed to use Carpio’s credit card because some members no longer had cash, with everyone expected to pay their respective shares afterward.
Antero recalled that his share was around ¥40,000 and that he personally witnessed Carpio pay the bill.
“I don’t see anything magical about that,” Antero said when private prosecutor Virgil Ligutan questioned how come Carpio was the only one who used his credit card despite the 10 others in the group who, by their stature, could afford to foot the bill.
However, Antero wasn’t able to present any photograph or document to corroborate that 11 people attended the dinner or that the other guests reimbursed Carpio.
He also could not produce proof of his own reimbursement, such as a bank transfer or acknowledgment from Carpio.
Ligutan questioned whether the costly dinner was consistent with the constitutional requirement for public officials to lead modest lives, pointing to the expenses as part of the prosecution’s effort to examine the couple’s spending.
Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero, however, noted that the amount was within the couple’s declared net worth in their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), and directed the prosecution to move on.
During redirect examination, Antero also said he would not lie for Carpio or Duterte, saying, “I took an oath as a witness and lawyer. I will not lie.”
Shoe spree in Malaysia
Another purchase was that of branded shoes in Malaysia.
A youth basketball team went to Kuala Lumpur for a competition in June, and Carpio was one of the parents who accompanied them. Along with him was another parent, second witness Chadrin Parian, who testified that Carpio bought shoes for ₱256,000.
Considered as manager of the basketball team, Carpio purchased the shoes for the children and for the accompanying adults, Parian confirmed.
“Siguro po nasiyahan siya sa pangyayari, sa outcome ng tournament [na] nag-champion ‘yung mga bata,” he said. “And siguro it (was his turn) sa mga expenses ng mga bata.”
[Translation: Perhaps he was delighted by the outcome of the tournament where our children won the championship. And maybe it was his turn to answer for their expenses.]
Prior to their Malaysia trip, Parian said the other parents chipped in with purchasing shoes for the team as some of them did not have the means to buy.
Parian said the team members are from different walks of life.
Photo evidence were submitted and shown during the trial, one of which was taken by Parian where Carpio was seen paying real-time at the shoe store, and another of the whole team posing with him.
House private prosecutor Reynaldo Robles then questioned whether the purchase shows what was expected of public officials and their relatives on “living simple lives.”
Senator-judges Pia Cayetano and Joel Villanueva pushed back and said athletes should be supported by any means such as providing sportswear.
“The way you are presenting it, you are telling law-abiding citizens like me, mothers [na] nagmamalasakit like me: ‘wag ka ng mag-abala, hayaan mo na lang ‘yang mga athlete na ‘yan. Because that is the message you are sending,” Cayetano told Robles.
Senator-judge Juan Miguel Zubiri intervened and said it has been established that Carpio indeed spent money for the team, and so the trial should move on to other pressing issues such as the alleged ₱300 million in foreign deposits to Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company where Carpio was an incorporator.
Remaining witnesses
Meanwhile, defense lead counsel Sheila Sison moved to withdraw the supposed third and fourth witnesses for the day, Quezon City prosecutor Vimar Barcellano and Bank of the Philippine Islands representative Paul Ysmael, saying they were only supposed to identify certified true copies of public records.
The prosecution agreed, then Presiding Officer Escudero instructed them to present the documents for marking.
This cut the Thursday trial short, with no more witnesses to present for the week following the earlier dropping of other bank representatives from the defense roster.
Upon inquiry by the court, Sison said their team will present eight to ten witnesses for the next presentation. They are yet to issue a list of the set.
The next trial session was set for Nov. 19 and 20, to give way to the ASEAN Summit taking place on Nov. 16 to 18.
