Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published October 16, 2026
The Office of the Ombudsman will conduct an initial evaluation of a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) referral concerning alleged omissions in Vice President Sara Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), while prosecutors in her impeachment trial have narrowed their case to allegations of unexplained wealth.
The Ombudsman confirmed on October 15 that it had received the NBI referral and said the matter would be handled independently. The office will assess the submitted documents to determine whether further investigation is warranted.
The NBI referred its fact-finding report to the Ombudsman on October 13. The investigation concerns allegations by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., who claimed he delivered suitcases containing cash to Duterte, former president Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte on the instructions of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
Gracioso estimated that the alleged deliveries totaled more than ₱2 billion. Sara Duterte, Paolo Duterte and Velasco have denied the allegations. The claims have not been established as proven findings.
Separately, on October 13, the Senate impeachment court approved the prosecution’s request to withdraw three of the four impeachment charges against Sara Duterte. The remaining charge concerns alleged unexplained wealth and the failure to fully declare assets and divest from business interests as required by law.
The withdrawn charges involved the alleged misuse of confidential funds, bribery and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Prosecutors said narrowing the case would streamline the proceedings and eliminate the need to call 32 witnesses.
House prosecutors have alleged that Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, accumulated between approximately ₱817.87 million and ₱1.5 billion in unexplained wealth from 2022 to 2025. The lower figure came from a forensic accounting analysis presented by prosecution witness Alexander Cabrera, while the higher amount reflects a broader calculation.
The prosecution said it considers the evidence sufficient to pursue the remaining impeachment charge. Duterte’s defense has challenged the prosecution’s financial analysis and questioned the allegations. Duterte has broadly denied wrongdoing.
The Ombudsman’s evaluation of the NBI referral is separate from the Senate impeachment proceedings. The referral could lead to further investigation, depending on the Ombudsman’s assessment, while the impeachment court will determine the outcome of the remaining charge.
