Approval of release of VP Duterte's tax records only a 'procedural issue,' prosecution says

House prosecutors pushed back Thursday against claims that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pulling the strings in the Senate impeachment trial, insisting that his authorization allowing the tax authority to release Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial records was purely procedural.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) turned over boxes of tax documents belonging to Vice President Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, in compliance with a July 20 subpoena issued by the Senate Impeachment Court. Officials confirmed that President Marcos granted permission for the release, sparking criticism from the opposing camp regarding Malacañang's potential involvement.

Speaking at a press briefing, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon dismissed allegations of political interference, arguing that the chief executive's approval was a routine requirement that would apply to any impeachable official facing similar scrutiny.

“I think there’s nothing wrong because it was a ministerial request for the President,” Ridon said. “Irrespective of whoever it is—whether it is any other impeachable official—I think the President will still give his consent towards the opening of the BIR documents, especially if it will further the cause of accountability and justice.”

“There is no reason to say that our President has a hand in this matter,” he added, a position backed by Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.

The prosecution panel intends to introduce the tax records under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to her lawful income. The panel plans to benchmark the BIR files against her past Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) to expose alleged unexplained wealth.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson for the prosecution, challenged the defense panel to welcome the evidence if they are confident no wrongdoing occurred.

“It does not matter who made the request; what matters is that the evidence is available,” Adiong said. “If the use of funds was really aboveboard, why is the other camp afraid? If their position is that they did not violate any law or policy... then they should welcome this.”

“We will unpack the true story through these proceedings,” Adiong noted. “If they did not violate any law, they do not have to be afraid.”

Addressing legal concerns over the scope of the subpoena, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno reminded the court during oral arguments that requesting an impeached official’s historical tax records aligns with established Senate precedent.

Diokno cited the 2012 impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, where the court subpoenaed financial records predating his tenure as head of the judiciary. He highlighted that current senator-judges—including Senate President Francis Escudero and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano—participated in those historic proceedings, with Cayetano explicitly arguing at the time that prior bank records were essential for establishing a pattern of impeachable offenses.

-Paraluman News