MANILA, Philippines — A witness in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial testified Thursday, Nov. 12, that her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, spent P256,882.50 on shoes for young basketball players who won a tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Chadrin Parian, Carpio’s friend and fellow parent involved in the Elite Philippines junior basketball team, told the Senate impeachment court that he personally witnessed Carpio pay for the footwear at Nike Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur.

Parian said the purchases were made after the team emerged as champions in a basketball tournament on June 15. He explained that Carpio treated the players as part of their celebration.

The witness also identified a photograph he took of the transaction, which the defense presented during the hearing. Parian said he was near the cashier when Carpio paid for the shoes.

According to Parian, parents and supporters regularly shared the team's expenses, particularly to help players whose families could not afford basketball shoes for international competitions.

He added that some of the young athletes were traveling overseas for the first time. The team arrived in Malaysia on June 11 and returned to the Philippines on June 16.

The transaction was among the credit card expenses examined during the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

Carpio previously maintained that the questioned transactions were personal expenditures paid using his own funds and were unrelated to his wife's official duties.

The defense had earlier explained that the Kuala Lumpur purchase was intended for a junior basketball team, while Parian's testimony provided additional details about the transaction.

The impeachment proceedings currently focus on Article II of the complaint, which involves allegations of unexplained wealth, inaccurate asset declarations, and failure to divest from business interests. Duterte has denied wrongdoing.

The Senate impeachment court adjourned its proceedings Thursday, November 12, with the next hearing reportedly scheduled for Thursday, November 19.

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