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October 15, 2026 | 3:45pm
Composite image shows Vice President Sara Duterte as seen in June 2026 and her husband, Mans Carpio, in April 2026.
Duterte office; The STAR / Miguel de Guzman; Philstar.com composite
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has clarified that its findings regarding the alleged discrepancies in the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, are based strictly on official documents signed and submitted by the couple themselves.
In a press conference on Thursday, October 15, NBI Director Melvin Matibag emphasized that the bureau's findings were not gossip but were based on documents signed by the couple.
“Hindi ito marites, hindi chismis, dahil dokumento yung nagsasalita at sila ang nakapirma sa dokumento parehas abogado si Attorney Man Carpio at si Vice President Sara Duterte with a grade of 80% of our exam,” Matibag said.
(This is not gossip or hearsay, because the documents speak for themselves, and they are the ones who signed the documents. Both Attorney Man Carpio and Vice President Sara Duterte are lawyers, with a grade of 80% in our exam.)
Among the key properties highlighted by the NBI is the "Prime Bistro," which is registered under Carpio's name.
According to the NBI, the couple’s SALN declares an acquisition cost of P10 million for the Prime Bistro.
However, the declared fair market value and assessed value of the property were listed at only P82,000.
Matibag said there was a clear conflict in these figures, pointing out that the estimated value of the land was P9.5 million, with an additional building on the site costing P4.5 million.
The NBI chief added that the bureau conducted its verification by obtaining Transfer Certificates of Title (TCTs) from the Land Registration Authority, visiting the physical locations, utilizing geotagging technology, and interviewing local residents.
Addressing the vice president's denial of owning some of these properties, Matibag questioned why they were explicitly declared in her SALN in the first place.
“Ang pinakamalinaw po rito that is a self-declaration ng SALN nila naka-describe nakalagay 'yung TCT number, nakalagay kung kailan na-acquire, bumabangga do'n sa TCT,” Matibag said.
(The clearest point here is that this is their own self-declared SALN—it describes and lists the TCT number and indicates when it was acquired—and it directly conflicts with the TCT records.)
“Sila po nagdeklara nito. Hindi po namin ginawa 'tong ebidensya na'to. Sila na po mismo ang nagbigay,” he added.
(They were the ones who declared this. We did not manufacture this evidence—they provided it themselves.)
The NBI forwarded its initial findings, consisting of a 178-page report, to the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday, October 14, for appropriate action.
The NBI referrals involve two separate matters: alleged SALN misdeclarations involving properties linked to Duterte, which the bureau sent to the Office of the Ombudsman, and alleged flood-control project irregularities involving Genesis88 Construction, which it sent to the Department of Justice.
The central allegation is that Duterte misdeclared or underdeclared property values and improvements.
One property the NBI highlighted consists of lots declared as “agricultural lots” in Barangay Catigan, Davao City, which were listed in her SALN at a combined P890,000 but which the NBI estimated to be worth P40.72 million to P61.08 million based on inspections and initial valuations.
