MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday said it is investigating properties linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte after discovering that one of their properties in Davao City, declared at around P890,000, could be worth as much as P60 million.
NBI director Melvin Matibag himself revealed this during a presentation of the agency’s initial findings on the alleged discrepancies in both Dutertes’ declared property values on their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALNs.
The findings were based on NBI agents who went on the ground in Davao City to personally inspect both Dutertes’ declared properties in their SALNs.
READ: NBI: 2 ‘cash houses’ in Gracioso claim ‘validated’
One of these was a property in Catigan, Davao City which Matibag said was declared an agricultural land worth only P890,000.
Upon inspection, however, agents discovered that it was actually estimated to be worth P50 to P60 million.
“It was declared agricultural, but even the neighbors, Davao residents themselves, identified it as the Duterte property,” said Matibag.
“… with the value of P890,000 but when you look at the resort it’s more than that and there is no declaration of improvements,” he added.
Several other properties were presented, including one Matibag said was owned by Paolo Duterte on Samal Island, a resort city in Davao del Norte.
“This one is also not on the SALN, identified as a property of Cong. Pulong on Samal,” said Matibag.
According to Matibag, the NBI is probing the Dutertes’ properties amid a pattern established based on the accusations of former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., who was also former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco’s former aide.
“We are investigating this because we are following the pattern that we established in the Gracioso affidavit — meaning there was money, where did the money go?,” said Matibag.
“It is now emerging that the properties and money are being put into land banking and we are looking seriously into why this is the case. That is already established. That was the practice with Velasco,” he added.
Asked about the discrepancies between the properties’ declared values in their SALNs and their estimated market values, Matibag said:
“There are huge discrepancies, just here in Catigan, the declaration is only P890,000 but upon consulting an assessor, it is around P60 million,” he said.
According to Matibag, the Duterte family has a total of 121 properties in Davao City and the province of Davao del Norte. Of this, 24 that belong to the vice president are already being investigated.
He then said that the NBI will endorse its initial findings to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Matibag also once again called on both Sara and Paolo Duterte to cooperate with the NBI’s investigation.
“If Cong. Pulong is asking why he needs insight, [it is] because of this investigation that they need to answer,” said Matibag.
“Likewise, the vice president should explain to the public why the property was declared as agricultural land in her SALN when a mansion was built on it,” he added.
Gracioso alleged that he personally delivered suitcases filled with cash to Duterte, her brother Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, as well as former President Rodrigo Duterte between 2018 and 2020. /das