VP Sara held dollar accounts, BPI informs impeachment court

Detailed summary

MANILA – The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has informed the Senate impeachment court that Vice President Sara Duterte held dollar accounts in the bank...

DOLLAR ACCOUNTS. House private prosecutor James Bryan Ibrahim Alih raises a point during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday (Nov. 12, 2026). Alih told the court and the defense that the prosecution would have wanted to question a Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) document submitted to the court by a defense witness supposedly showing Duterte’s dollar accounts at the BPI. (Screenshot from Senate livestream)

MANILA – The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has informed the Senate impeachment court that Vice President Sara Duterte held dollar accounts in the bank.

These deposits are obviously in addition to peso accounts the Vice President and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, held at the BPI-Julia Vargas (Pasig City) branch, on which the prosecution had already presented evidence.

The information on the respondent’s dollar deposits surfaced Thursday after defense counsel Michael Poa told the court that in the interest of time, the defense was dispensing with the testimony of lawyer Paul Rodriguez Ysmael, head of BPI’s legal department.

Poa said the defense panel intended to present Ysmael to authenticate the former’s letter dated last Feb. 24 to the latter inquiring about the accounts held by the Vice President in BPI.

The defense counsel said since he was already asked about his letter-inquiry in a previous hearing, there was no need for the BPI officer to testify on it.

At this point, James Bryan Ibrahim Alih, a counsel for the panel of prosecutors, sought recognition from the impeachment court presiding officer, Sen. Francis Escudero.

Alih told the court and the defense that the prosecution would have wanted to cross-examine or question Ysmael on the documents he submitted to the court.

He said “highlights” prosecutors would have pointed out include “one letter coming from the BPI where it confirmed that the Vice President had dollar accounts.”

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