Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to her legal counsel, as she refuses to enter the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, citing safety concerns, before posting bail for her grave threats case on Saturday, September 5, 2026. A Quezon City RTC issued an arrest warrant Friday against Duterte on three counts of grave threats after she claimed during a November 2024 press briefing that she had hired an assassin to kill President Marcos, the First Lady, and Speaker Romualdez. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte owns 22 firearms, an official from the Philippine National Police told the Senate impeachment court on Monday.
PNP Firearms and Explosives Office Chief Joericson Sangalang, whom the prosecution presented as a witness in Duterte’s impeachment trial, said the agency’s records show that Duterte owns 14 pistols, two revolvers, five rifles including three Class-A light weapons, and one shotgun.
This makes Duterte a Type 5 License to Own and Possess Firearms owner, which is given to individuals who own and register more than 15 firearms.
Senators question relevance of PNP firearms chief's testimony in Duterte impeachment trial
Meanwhile, Duterte’s husband Manases Carpio owns 29 firearms, including 16 pistols, two revolvers, one shotgun, 10 rifles including one Class-A light weapon, and one expired firearm, based on PNP’s records.
A light weapon, which has a fully automatic function that continuously fires when triggered, may only be acquired by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, PNP and other law enforcement agencies, Sangalang said, citing Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
But individuals who purchased a light weapon prior to the law’s enactment in 2013 are allowed to continue possessing them, given compliance with other provisions in the law, he added.
VALUE NOT BASED ON ACQUISITION COST
Duterte has P2,184,550 while Carpio has P5,035,820 worth of firearms, according to PNP’s records, which Sangalang said was based on present market prices instead of the actual acquisition costs.
The prosecution noted that the firearms owned by Duterte include pistols currently worth P99,000 and P167,000 and rifles worth P300,000, P200,000 and P120,000.
Carpio meanwhile has a pistol presently priced at P320,000 and rifles at P900,000 and P600,000.
During trial presiding officer Francis Escudero’s interjection, Sangalang said the PNP has not verified whether the firearms were purchased brand-new or second-hand.
Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano pointed out that the PNP’s list showed some firearms were purchased years back and could have acquisition costs lower than current market values.
“Imposible namang bibilhin ni Atty. Manases at ni Vice President ito ng isang bugso. So over the years binili niya ito,” Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian added, notig that some could have also been purchased secondhand.
The witness agreed with the senator's remark that firearms’ values typically depreciate when purchased second-hand but said there are exceptions for those for which production has stopped or are considered antique.
The PNP has no list of secondhand prices, he added.
“Mahirap talaga malaman yung totoong value ng baril as of this point,” Gatchalian said, to which the witness agreed.
Sangalang took the witness stand as part of the prosecution’s presentation on the second article of impeachment, which accuses Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth, committing Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) violations, and failure to divest from business interests.
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