Marcos approves release of Sara Duterte, Mans Carpio's tax records to Senate impeachment court
Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Atty. Mans Carpio's tax records have been submitted to the Senate impeachment court.
This comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the release of the documents. Sec. 71 of the National Internal Revenue Code states that president can order the inspection of income tax returns of specific taxpayers.
"Lumiliit na ang mundo ng atin pong pangalawang pangulo," Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon of the House prosecution team said on July 30 of the submission. "'Yun pong mga bank records, bank documents ay isa-isang isinusumite ngayong araw na ito sa Senado para ho sa Senate impeachment court."
Red BIR boxes containing the tax documents were delivered to the Senate ahead of the impeachment court's 9 a.m. deadline on Thursday.
Bank records in boxes were also brought to the upper chamber's Pasay office.
The impeachment court on July 20 approved the prosecution's request to subpoena Duterte's bank, tax, and Anti-Money Laundering Council records from 2007 to 2021.
The trial's Presiding Officer, Chiz Escudero, also noted that records before Duterte's current term will "not be used to allege additional independent impeachable offenses."
"The court will only allow these records to be used to establish a factual baseline against which the respondent's assets, financial transactions, and business interests during her present term may be assessed," he explained.
The records will be taken up during discussions of the second impeachment article on unexplained wealth during the trial.
Duterte impeachment trial
Duterte is facing a total of four impeachment complaints. The first complaint was filed by a coalition of various organizations on Feb. 2 but was set aside for violating the one-year bar rule. The second was filed on Feb. 9, but was withdrawn to consolidate support for the third complaint.
The third complaint, backed by ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, charged Duterte with culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, plunder or malversation, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The fourth complaint, endorsed by House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, similarly alleged constitutional violations, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other impeachable offenses.
The Senate impeachment court has approved a 92-day trial as of writing. Sixty-two trial dates have been set for House of Representatives prosecutors and 30 for Duterte's defense team, according to a 14-page Pre-Trial Order obtained by The Philippine STAR.
The articles of impeachment are being presented in the following order: fourth article, first article, third article, and second article.
If the Senate impeachment court finds her guilty of the charges, Duterte will be removed from her current post and permanently barred from holding public office.