MANILA – The House prosecution may consider calling lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, as a hostile witness in her impeachment trial to explain bank accounts and financial records linked to him under the unexplained wealth charge, an impeachment prosecutor said.

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, co-lead of the prosecution team handling Article II on unexplained wealth, said Carpio’s possible inclusion as a witness remains under discussion.

“Pwede hong pag-isipan kasi siyempre, kung halimbawa napapangalanan siya doon sa ilang mga bank accounts, kung napapangalanan po siya doon sa ilang mga dokumento, eh ’di I think rightfully pwede hong maipatawag para maitanong ’yun pong katotohanan sa likod po ng mga dokumento na ito,” Ridon said during a press briefing at the House of Representatives.

Ridon stressed, however, that no decision has been made to call Carpio and that the matter is still at an early stage.

“Wala pa naman po sa pinag-uusapan na maisama si Atty. Carpio doon po sa bilang po ng witnesses po namin as a hostile witness, pero pwede po nating pag-isipan po ito,” he said.

Carpio is not included in the prosecution’s current witness list, while no hostile witnesses have so far been identified for the Article II presentation.

The prosecution is set to begin presenting its unexplained wealth evidence on Sept. 14, with more than 1,800 financial documents, including subpoenaed bank and tax records involving Duterte, Carpio and their companies.

Article II accuses Duterte of betrayal of public trust for allegedly accumulating unexplained wealth disproportionate to her lawful income and failing to fully and truthfully disclose her assets and liabilities.

Among the records cited by prosecutors is an Anti-Money Laundering Council report covering 663 transactions involving Duterte and Carpio with a combined value of about PHP6.77 billion. Of the amount, around PHP3.77 billion was linked to Duterte and PHP2.99 billion to Carpio.

An initial prosecution review also found that details of 15 bank accounts involving Duterte and Carpio matched accounts identified in the AMLC records.

Ridon said Carpio could be called if prosecutors determine that his testimony would be relevant to explaining the financial records that will be presented in support of Article II.

The possible move comes after Carpio filed a complaint against several lawmakers and government officials, including Ridon, over the disclosure of financial records involving him and Duterte.

The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the complaint without prejudice on jurisdictional grounds.

Carpio’s camp has maintained that the dismissal did not resolve the complaint on its merits and said he may refile it before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Ridon and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno are serving as co-leads of the prosecution team for Article II, which will open its presentation of evidence Monday.