By Ismael A. Amigo
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has authorized the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to release the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte to the Senate impeachment court, allowing prosecutors to obtain documents they consider crucial to the impeachment proceedings.
The authorization enabled the BIR to comply with a Senate subpoena after determining that the request satisfied the legal requirements under the National Internal Revenue Code, which generally protects taxpayer information from disclosure.
The subpoenaed records were submitted by BIR officials to the Office of the Clerk of the Senate impeachment court before the prescribed deadline. Court personnel are currently conducting an inventory and verification of the documents before providing copies to both the prosecution and defense.
Included in the subpoena are the income tax records of Vice President Duterte, her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, and several companies reportedly linked to the couple.
Prosecutors requested the documents to support allegations of unexplained wealth cited in one of the Articles of Impeachment. They maintain that the financial records could help determine whether Duterte’s declared income and assets are consistent with evidence gathered during the investigation.
The Senate impeachment court had earlier ruled that the requested tax documents were relevant to the case but noted that the BIR could not legally release them without presidential approval under existing tax secrecy provisions.
With the authorization now issued, prosecutors have overcome a key procedural hurdle in their effort to present documentary evidence before the impeachment tribunal.
Vice President Duterte has denied all allegations contained in the impeachment complaint, while her legal team insists that the case is politically motivated and lacks sufficient factual basis.
The Senate impeachment court will decide whether the submitted tax records will be admitted as evidence as the trial proceeds with the presentation of additional documents and witness testimonies.