Panel found probable cause to impeach Sara, lawyer says

Probable Cause Found Lawyer Says House Committee Has Seen Enough to Imp
Impeach Sara Duterte

The Role of Probable Cause in Impeaching Sara Duterte

LAWYER Lorna Kapunan believes that the House of Representatives Committee o
on Justice has seen and heard enough evidence to find probable cause to imp
impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. This decision is based on discrepancie
discrepancies in her declared net worth and flagged bank transactions.

The House Committee on Justice has already met its target to prove probabl
probable cause, that a crime was committed, that a violation of law was com
committed, and that the vice president is probably guilty thereof, Kapunan
Kapunan said in an interview. But it's not guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
doubt.

Kapunan, a veteran litigator, cautioned against being swayed by the Vice Pr
President's press releases or online trolls seeking to discredit the findin
findings. Instead, she emphasized the importance of following the evidence 
and numbers.

No spin can change what is already on official record, Kapunan said. Wit
With all the evidence, follow the numbers. Don't believe the press release
releases, trolls, and statements outside the Committee on Justice. Believe 
in the numbers. Let the numbers speak for themselves.

Kapunan noted that the evidence presented includes official records from go
government agencies such as the Office of the Ombudsman, the Anti-Money Lau
Laundering Council (AMLC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
(SEC).

These are records, they don't lie, Kapunan said. When speaking of litiga
litigation, there is already the presence of hard evidence, documentary fro
from official sources. This is not opinion, this is not hearsay. These are 
documents.

During the April 22 hearing, committee members uncovered a more than eleven
elevenfold jump in Duterte's net worth, from P7.2 million in 2007 to P88.4 
million in 2024. The committee also found that she had failed to report her
her cash on hand and bank deposits under personal assets in her SALNs from 
2019 to 2024.

We cannot ignore these discrepancies, Kapunan emphasized. It is not just
just a matter of arithmetic, but an issue of accountability and transparenc
transparency.

The AMLC reported to the justice panel that more than 600 transactions wort
worth P6.7 billion from Duterte and her husband's bank accounts had been fl
flagged as covered or suspicious from 2006 to 2025.

The House Committee on Justice has given the Vice President ample opportun
opportunity to address the allegations and defend herself, but instead, the
the defense team filed a non-answer and Duterte continues to shun the heari
hearings, Kapunan said. She cannot hide behind jurisdictional arguments t
to avoid attending the hearings.

Kapunan also emphasized the importance of due process in any impeachment pr
proceedings against Duterte.

The process cannot be skipped. It must go through due process, she said. 
If we skip it, we risk wasting the people's time and money.

In conclusion, Kapunan stated that the House Committee on Justice has found
found probable cause to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte based on the di
discrepancies in her declared net worth and flagged bank transactions.

Probable cause is not guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It means there is a
a strong indication that a crime was committed, Kapunan said.

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Keywords Impeachment proceedings, Vice President Sara Duterte, House of Re
Representatives Committee on Justice, probable cause, SALNs, AMLC report, S
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), due process.

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

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