Sara Duterte’s gun ownership presented at impeachment court, but senators unimpressed - Rappler

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VEEP. Vice President Sara Duterte addresses an event in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, in late May 2026.

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MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution established before the impeachment court on Monday, September 28, that Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio, own a combined 51 guns, although it’s a fact that senators did not exactly appreciate.

The prosecution’s witness, Philippine National Police firearms office records chief Major Joericson Sangalang, confirmed that 22 guns are registered to the Vice President herself. Alongside her husband’s 29 guns, the firearms have an approximate market value of P7 million.

Rappler first reported about the Duterte family’s gun collection in March 2024.

The prosecution wanted to point out that Duterte did not declare her guns in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

Senator-judges, however, tried early on to stop prosecutor Bel Zamora’s direct examination of the police official, questioning the testimony’s relevance.

“I have been reviewing my SALN also, and I do not see anything there that says guns,” Senate President Pro Tempore Tito Sotto said, saying he usually includes guns as part of the personal property section.

“Many of us are firearms owners here. We usually put it under personal properties. I don’t see there’s any violation that I feel would happen if they do that, if the Vice President had done that. I don’t think it has that much weight. We’re looking for the bigger evidence that they want to present, if any,” Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri added.

In defending the importance of the testimony, Zamora cited 2025 omnibus guidelines on SALN disclosure, which require individual declaration of firearms. Defense lawyer Carlo Narvasa, however, pointed out that the updated rules cannot be applied retroactively.

Post-trial, the prosecution justified its bid to present Duterte’s gun ownership before the court.

“Unexplained wealth is based principally on the SALN of the Vice President, and because she’s still married to Mans…. They should both declare whatever their personal properties are,” Kapunan said in a Rappler interview. “That includes firearms.”

“It does not matter the amount. Even when it is said it is only P7 million, when you submit your SALN, you are certifying under oath that’s all that you own,” Kapunan added. “This is where we attempt to show to the public and the impeachment court that there is a pattern from the Vice President of hiding her wealth.”

Kapunan noted the hesitation of senators to discuss the matters because they are firearm owners themselves, but she believes the prosecution’s presentation shed light on the reality that a public official can have a private army.

“We can also segue into how relevant it is to grave threats (article). They do have a private army, and therefore it makes it more believable and more credible the article on grave threats,” she said. – Rappler.com