Like a brother? Duterte’s defense witness has close ties to Mans Carpio - Rappler

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WITNESS. Atty. Anel Martin Antero takes the witness stand on Day 43 of the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte on November 12, 2026.

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To explain lawyer Mans Carpio’s big purchases, the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte brought in lawyer Anel Martin Antero to the witness stand on Thursday, November 12.

During his testimony, Antero attributed Carpio’s nearly P200,000 credit card bill in May 2023 to a group meal in Japan.

But instead of dwelling on the explanation, the prosecution used its allotted time for cross-examination to cast doubt on Antero’s credibility. Specifically, the prosecution doubled down on the lawyer’s close ties to the Dutertes.

Prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan displayed several of Antero’s social media posts that revealed his pro-Duterte leanings on different issues.

At one point, Ligutan also showed a post where Antero referred to Duterte’s 2026 impeachment complaint as “flimsy.”

After minutes of being in the hot seat, Antero finally admitted his close ties to Duterte and her husband Mans.

“Now, do you also confirm that you have a close relationship with Attorney Carpio? Close relationship this time, not merely acquaintance, close relationship, these are two different things,” said Ligutan. “Yes,” said Antero.

“And you treat Attorney Manases Carpio like a brother, correct?” the prosecutor continued. “Yes, sir,” the lawyer responded.

Ligutan traced the money trail linking Carpio and Antero to show the extent of their relationship.

“Mr. Witness, did you ever receive money from Attorney Manases Garpio?” Ligutan asked.

“I am part of his firm, sir. From time to time, I receive some compensation from my professional services, sir,” said Antero.

The inquiry into large credit card purchases is meant to show that the Duterte family lives lavishly, despite claiming a modest lifestyle. This forms only a small part of the remaining article of impeachment.

The prosecution team relied on lawyer Alex Cabrera, an expert witness, to analyze Duterte’s financial records. He estimated that the Vice President had alleged P817 million in undeclared wealth from 2022 to 2025.

Among the transactions in the report are ¥489,000 spent at a restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, and P256,000 at the Nike Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Antero clarified that the Tokyo purchase was indeed for a meal, and it just so happened that they used Carpio’s card. He said he later paid Carpio for his part of the bill.

“The issue in this case is whether P200,000 is an ostentatious [purchase]…. Whether the Vice President and her spouse is leading a modest life. This is central to the allegation of unexplained wealth,” said Ligutan. – Rappler.com