A Philippine lawmaker says he successfully deposited money into a bank account allegedly held jointly by Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte — a move he presented as evidence that the account remains operational despite previous denials.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña disclosed the transaction during Wednesday’s House justice committee hearing, the third convened to examine impeachment complaints filed against the vice president.
“Yesterday, I was able to deposit to one of the alleged bank accounts under the names of VP Sara Duterte and her father who is former President Rodrigo Duterte,” Cendaña told the panel. “Contrary to their previous denials, the account appears to be active. I was able to deposit P448 to this one account.”
He offered no elaboration on the mechanics of the deposit or the source of the funds.
The account in question is tied to longstanding allegations that the Dutertes held undeclared wealth. Cendaña framed financial transparency as a constitutional duty for those in public office.
“To be honest, this should’ve never been kept a secret. A public servant’s obligation to the Constitution and to the people is to be open in their financial transactions and lifestyle,” he said. “If VP Sara does not have a secret, she should’ve signed a waiver a long time ago. If she has nothing to fear, she should’ve disclosed the true contents of her bank account.”
Cendaña raised the matter just before the committee opened the floor to clarificatory questions directed at representatives of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, who appeared before lawmakers regarding the vice president’s financial records.
Sara Duterte faces two impeachment complaints — one alleging misuse of confidential funds, and another involving accusations of unexplained wealth accumulation. The latter is the focus of Wednesday’s proceedings. A fourth and final hearing to determine probable cause is set for April 29.
