Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon and Vice President Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Public prosecutor and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said on Tuesday that new evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case will include firearms worth millions that she failed to disclose in her statements of net worth.
In an interview, Ridon said Duterte omitted about 50 “short and long” firearms from her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), estimated to be worth millions, as the House prosecution team seeks an expert appraisal to determine their actual value.
The firearms are supposedly owned by Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, and were registered with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
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“We will get the list from the PNP Firearms Division on each and every firearm that is registered in the name of the vice president and her husband,” Ridon, who leads the team handling the unexplained wealth accusations against Duterte, told the Inquirer.
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“All of the firearms were never declared in any SALN, in any year,” he added.
READ: Ridon: New impeachment evidence targets Sara Duterte wealth
Ridon initially said there were more than 30 firearms, but in a later interview, he said there were 50 firearms.
“It’s a mix of rifles, revolvers, shotguns, and pistols listed under their names … if there are 50 firearms, I think that is worth millions. So during the trial proper, we will invite the dealers, because they are listed in the PNP record,” he said in Filipino.
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Ridon added there are 52 firearms—29 of which belong to Carpio, while 23 are under Duterte’s name.
Last week, Ridon disclosed that the House prosecution panel gathered new evidence against Duterte, material not revealed during the “clarificatory hearings” held by the House justice committee in April.
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He confirmed that the firearms were the new evidence he was referring to.
“The non-disclosure of firearms ownership is a serious matter, not only because of its value but also because of the type of property left undeclared,” he said in Filipino.
“While firearms ownership is not prohibited, it is a highly regulated form of property that should be declared in the SALN,” he added.
READ: Ridon: We have new evidence of Sara Duterte properties not in her SALN
Ridon said Duterte’s failure to disclose the firearms in her SALNs may suggest she holds additional hidden assets.
“If you have a stash of at least 30 firearms, which you know are a regulated class of property, it is not far-fetched that there may also be unregulated properties not listed in the vice president’s SALN,” he said.
Ridon reminded the public that omissions in SALNs were among the grounds for the conviction of the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.
“There should be the same treatment regarding the non-disclosure of firearms by our vice president in her SALN,” he added.
Duterte, 48, faces accusations of corruption and constitutional violations in the articles of impeachment that the House transmitted to the Senate on May 11 after an overwhelming vote. She was indicted on the following charges:
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Culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust through the alleged systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular use of confidential funds amounting to P500 million under the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million under the Department of Education
Culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust for allegedly amassing unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official, and for failing to disclose all assets in her statements of net worth for 2022, 2023, and 2024
Bribery, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust for allegedly giving monetary gifts or payments to Department of Education officials to induce violations of and circumvent procurement and related laws
Culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes, and betrayal of public trust for allegedly contracting the assassination of the president, the first lady, and the former House speaker, making grave threats, and actively inciting sedition against the Republic
/mcm
Read the full article at Philippine Daily Inquirer →📄Source document: Vice President Sara Duterte. Photo courtesy of Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page.
8 reports
Philippine Daily InquirerIndependentCenterFactual 90Objective 903 days agoThe pre-trial conference for the impeachment of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte will resume on Monday, June 22. Lawyer Michael Poa, representing Duterte's defense team, stated that only the evidence related to Article III has been fully marked so far. Article III includes charges of bribery, graft and corruption, constitutional violations, and betrayal of public trust. Poa mentioned that the defense team expects to complete the marking process by Monday but remains open to extending the sessions if necessary.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a factual summary of the legal proceedings without apparent bias. It quotes directly from the defense lawyer and does not include any subjective commentary or framing that suggests a particular political leaning.
Official sources cited
- press release Vice President Sara Duterte. Photo courtesy of Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page.
Philippine Daily InquirerIndependentCenterFactual 90Objective 906 days ago Prosecutors seek Filipino, regional language use in Sara Duterte trialThe House prosecution team in Vice President Sara Duterte's trial plans to request the use of Filipino and regional language translations during the proceedings to ensure accessibility for Filipinos. Lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro mentioned this during a media briefing and stated that the request will be formally raised at the upcoming pre-trial conference.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly biased language or framing. It reports on procedural requests made by the prosecution team without taking a stance on the trial's outcome or the accused's guilt. The content focuses on logistical aspects of the trial rather than making evaluat
Official sources cited
- government Gerville Luistro
RapplerIndependentCenterFactual 88Objective 9012 days agoThe article reports on several news items including the scheduling of a pre-trial conference for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case, changes in Senate leadership reflected on the Senate website, international sympathy following an earthquake in Sarangani, criticism of Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte for dumping trash near the DENR office, and the Aurora police stating that the deaths of two Ateneo Blue Eagles players were a 'natural accident'.
Bias read (Center): The article provides factual updates without overtly favoring any political side. It includes multiple news points with no clear ideological framing or biased language.
Philippine Daily InquirerIndependentCenterFactual 88Objective 885 days ago Ridon: Undeclared firearms new evidence in Duterte impeachment casePublic prosecutor and Bicol Saro Representative Terry Ridon announced that new evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case includes undeclared firearms valued at millions of pesos. These firearms, reportedly owned by Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, were registered with the Philippine National Police (PNP). Ridon stated that the firearms were not declared in any Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) filings and that the House prosecution team plans to obtain a list of all firearms registered under Duterte's and her husband's names.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information regarding the discovery of undeclared firearms in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte without apparent bias. It reports on statements made by public prosecutor Terry Ridon and does not exhibit loaded language, one-sided sourcing, or ommis
Official sources cited
- government Statement by Terry Ridon
- government Philippine National Police Firearms Division
Philippine Daily InquirerIndependentLeftFactual 88Objective 888 days ago Ridon: New impeachment evidence targets Sara Duterte wealthHouse prosecutor Terry L. Ridon of the Ako Bicol Party-list revealed new evidence in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, alleging that she and her husband failed to declare certain assets in their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) from 2007 to 2024. The evidence reportedly includes properties listed in government records but not included in Duterte's SALN submissions. The announcement was made during the launch of 'Bantay Impeachment,' a public initiative aimed at monitoring the impeachment process.
Bias read (Left): The article presents information from a House prosecutor associated with a specific political party (Ako Bicol Party-list) and highlights an impeachment effort against a high-profile political figure. While it remains factually neutral in describing the allegations, the emphasis on a citizen-led 'im
Official sources cited
- government Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs)
- government Terry L. Ridon, House prosecutor of Ako Bicol Party-list
Philippine Daily InquirerIndependentCenterFactual 88Objective 888 days ago Chua: One article enough to convict Sara DuterteHouse prosecutor and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua stated that the House prosecution panel may not need to present all four Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte if one article is sufficient to secure a conviction in the Senate impeachment trial. The panel is preparing for the pretrial phase, with the pretrial brief to be filed soon and the trial set to begin on July 6. The prosecution previously described Duterte's response to the impeachment complaint as a 'non-answer'.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte without using loaded language, one-sided sourcing, or omission of context. It reports on statements made by House prosecutor Joel Chua and outlines the procedural steps of the impeachment case without editorializing or showing bias.
Philippine Daily InquirerIndependentCenterFactual 75Objective 823 days ago Duterte’s defense team disputes claims they were unprepared in pre-trialVice President Sara Duterte's defense team denied claims that they were unprepared during the first day of the pre-trial conference for her impeachment trial. Defense spokesperson Michael Poa stated that the team had been preparing for the trial for 'the longest time' and expressed confidence that no one at the conference would claim otherwise. The pre-trial conference is scheduled to resume on June 22 to finalize evidentiary documents related to three articles of impeachment.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a neutral summary of the defense team's response to allegations of unpreparedness without taking a stance on the validity of these claims or the broader implications of the impeachment proceedings. It does not exhibit biased language, one-sided sourcing, or omission of context.
RapplerIndependentCenter3 days ago Sara Duterte’s impeachment pre-trial conference begins | The wRapThe article reports on the beginning of the pre-trial conference for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case. It mentions that the process was smooth with no tension, and notes that Senator Jinggoy Estrada has been suspended as a senator-judge in the trial. Other news items include updates on the absence of an ICC warrant for Senator Bong Go, the CIDG's statement on the deaths of two Ateneo basketball players, and a US-Iran ceasefire deal.
Bias read (Center): The article provides factual updates on ongoing legal proceedings without overtly favoring any side. It includes multiple news points, some related to politics, but presents them neutrally without apparent bias or loaded language.
Official sources cited
- government Senate President Win Gatchalian clarification on Jinggoy Estrada's suspension
- government DOJ statement on lack of ICC warrant for Bong Go
- government CIDG statement on Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili deaths
PH