President Marcos authorizes release of VP Sara Duterte’s tax records for impeachment trial

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has authorized the release of Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records to the Senate, providing potential evidence for her ongoing impeachment trial, where she faces charges including the accumulation of unexplained wealth.

"They can be opened and availed of by the parties as part of their evidence," Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Thursday (July 30, 2026).

Under Philippine law, presidential authorization is required before the Bureau of Internal Revenue can release confidential tax records. While the Senate—currently sitting as the impeachment court—had previously subpoenaed Duterte's tax history, it held off on compelling their release until taxpayer confidentiality rules were formally cleared.

The Senate has also ordered commercial banks and the Anti-Money Laundering Council to produce financial records belonging to both Duterte and her husband.

Duterte’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. She has consistently denied all wrongdoing, framing the impeachment proceedings as politically motivated.

Duterte faces an array of impeachment charges, including the misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, corruption, and allegedly making threats against Marcos, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker. 

A conviction requires the votes of at least 16 of the Senate's 24 members. If convicted, Duterte would be barred from holding public office, effectively derailing her anticipated 2028 presidential bid.

The high-stakes trial marks the complete breakdown of the alliance between Marcos and Duterte—scions of two of the nation's most powerful political dynasties—who won the 2022 election in a landslide before turning into bitter rivals.

The trial is set to resume on August 3.

Defense downplays bank managers' testimonies

Meanwhile, Duterte’s defense team stated Wednesday (July 29, 2026) that it deliberately minimized its cross-examination during the trial's 10th day, arguing that prosecution testimonies under Article I failed to deliver damaging evidence.

Article I accuses the Vice President of misusing, misappropriating, and irregularly liquidating confidential funds.

Defense spokesperson Michael Poa waived questioning for prosecution witness Violeta Constantino, a former LandBank department manager who testified to supervising the encashment of four ₱125-million checks by former Office of the Vice President Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta.

"There was nothing questionable or damaging in what the witness presented. The witness merely identified the checks, which is something we are not even disputing," Poa told reporters after the session. "I didn’t want to prolong the proceedings and be petty by asking questions when they weren’t even necessary."

The defense similarly limited its questioning of former LandBank branch manager Nenita Camposano to just two questions. Camposano testified regarding the encashment of ₱37.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education during Duterte's tenure as Education Secretary.

Poa dismissed testimonies describing the massive cash withdrawals as "unusual," calling the remarks mere personal opinion.

"I don’t see how it will affect the case. We’re not questioning the validity of the encashment," Poa said, noting he only asked why personnel used the building's fire exit to dispel any negative insinuation about exiting through a backdoor.

-Paraluman News with a reporting by Nestor Corrales and Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair/Reuters