Analyst says VP Sara Duterte's SALN underreporting signals concealed wealth

In a hearing before the Senate Impeachment Court, forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera presented findings that suggest Vice President Sara Duterte and her spouse, lawyer Manases Carpio, have not fully disclosed their assets. He identified undeclared income totaling millions of pesos from entities such as Cale 88 Foods Corp., Metro Chow King Food Corp., and Gencorp Industries Inc. Cabrera also noted that some of the couple's companies show unusually high profits with low capital and losses on the bottom line, which he described as signs of fraudulent reporting.

He explained that under Philippine law, a manifestly disproportionate gap between declared income and actual wealth can be deemed deliberate concealment, removing the need to prove intent. Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros questioned whether these patterns constitute intentional hiding of property, to which Cabrera affirmed the legal standard. The testimony underscores ongoing scrutiny of the vice president's financial disclosures.