On Monday, October 12, the 38th trial day, the House prosecution ended its presentation of evidence (GMA News, Manila Times, Rappler). Its last witness, forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera, said the unexplained wealth of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio for 2022 to 2025 could be as high as ₱1.5 billion, against a minimum of ₱817 million (GMA News, Manila Times, Rappler). He stood by a ₱1.05-billion gap in GenCorp’s reporting and said about ₱250 million in taxes went unpaid on undeclared inflows (Inquirer, Manila Times). Defence counsel Sheila Sison called his testimony erroneous (GMA News). Prosecutors do not plan to call Duterte as a witness for now, and the NBI is examining 121 properties linked to the family (Inquirer, Philstar, GMA News).
The numbers give the Senate, sitting as judges, a wider range to weigh on the unexplained-wealth charge. They remain a witness’s estimates until senators rule, and the defence has yet to present its side.
Expect the next phase to turn on the defence: whether it contests the accounting method, calls its own witnesses or seeks dismissal. For most readers nothing changes in daily life, but the outcome decides who holds the vice presidency and shapes the 2028 race.
Prosecutors say the documents and bank records speak for themselves and show wealth far above declared income.
The defence says the analysis is erroneous, that the finding is about non-reporting rather than fraud, and that the case is politically driven.
A range from ₱817 million to ₱1.5 billion is not a verdict. Watch three things: whether the prosecutors’ review folds the NBI’s properties into their figure, when the defence starts, and how many senator-judges attend, since a quorum problem delayed Monday’s start.
GMA News, Manila Times, Rappler, Inquirer, Philstar (Oct 12-13, 2026)
Prosecution ends its evidence in the Sara Duterte impeachment trial as its analyst puts her unexplained wealth at up to ₱1.5 billion; she will not be called as a witness, for nowProsecution ends its evidence in the Sara Duterte impeachment trial as its analyst puts her unexplained wealth at up to ₱1.5 billion; she will not be called as a witness, for now
Forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera told the Senate on Monday that the gap for 2022 to 2025 could be nearly double the prosecution’s ₱817.87-million estimate. The defence called his testimony “erroneous.”
The prosecution in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial ended its presentation of evidence on Monday, October 12, the 38th day of the hearings (GMA News, Manila Times, Rappler). Alexander Cabrera, a lawyer and accountant who works as a forensic financial analyst, told the Senate, sitting as the impeachment court, that the unexplained wealth of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, could reach ₱1.5 billion at the maximum for 2022 to 2025, against ₱817.87 million at the minimum, the figure prosecutors had called conservative (GMA News, Manila Times). He stood by a finding of about ₱1.05 billion in unreported transactions involving GenCorp, a company linked to the couple, which he described as non-reporting rather than fraud (Inquirer), and said the company failed to pay around ₱250 million in taxes on undeclared inflows (Manila Times). He also called a ₱41-million cash withdrawal made within an hour and 13 minutes “unusual” because no clear transaction trail was shown (Inquirer). Defence lead counsel Sheila Sison called his testimony “erroneous,” and prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno disputed her (GMA News). DailyDrop cannot verify the figures; they are estimates by a prosecution witness, not findings by the court. His evidence supports the unexplained-wealth charge in the impeachment complaint; prosecutors earlier dropped a bribery charge to shorten a trial that began on July 6 and is in its 14th week (Daily Tribune, Inquirer). The session started late until a quorum was reached after 10 a.m., when senator-judges Robin Padilla and Camille Villar arrived (Rappler).
Prosecutors said that, for now, they will not call Duterte as a witness because the documents she signed and swore to already speak for themselves (Inquirer, Philstar, GMA News). Separately, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said it is examining 121 properties linked to Duterte and her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, over differences between the values declared in their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) and its own estimates; one Davao City property declared at about ₱890,000 may be worth far more, with the Inquirer headline putting it at ₱60 million (Philstar, Inquirer). Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo played NBI videos of what he called “resort-like” properties (GMA News), and House prosecutors will check whether those assets are already in their ₱817.87-million computation (Manila Times). Duterte, for her part, said President Marcos has treated her as a threat since 2023, pointing to his comments on alleged Chinese money tied to her husband’s firm (Inquirer, Philstar). The reports reviewed do not say when the defence will begin or whether it will ask for the case to be dismissed. A conviction would remove her from office and could bar her from holding public office again. A Pulse Asia survey released the same day still put Duterte first among 2028 presidential preferences, and prosecutors said they were unfazed by it (GMA News, Philstar).