Rep. Chel Diokno cites Corona impeachment to back bid for VP Duterte's bank, tax records

House prosecutor Chel Diokno on Wednesday pointed to the 2012 impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona as precedent for the Senate impeachment court to compel the production of Vice President Sara Duterte's bank and tax records.

During oral arguments on the prosecution's subpoena request, Diokno said the Senate had previously allowed evidence covering periods before an impeachable official assumed office, countering the defense's claim that the requested financial records are too broad because they include years before Duterte became Vice President in 2022.

“Sa impeachment ni dating Chief Justice Renato Corona, tinanggap ng hukumang ito ang mga ebidensyang nakalap bago pa man siya naupo bilang punong hukom. I believe it was then Senator-judge, now Presiding Officer Francis Escudero who raised the question: Will the impeachment court consider only Corona's acts as Chief Justice? This was after observing that some exhibits predated his appointment as Chief Justice. This matter was taken up in caucus after which this court decided to allow such evidence,” Diokno said.

He also recalled that during Corona's impeachment proceedings, questions over the former chief justice's bank deposits led the impeachment court to order the production of additional bank documents despite objections from the defense.

“When Philippine Savings Bank President Pascual Garcia III testified before this court in the same Corona trial, he refused to answer the question of then-Sen. Judge Franklin Drilon on the starting balance of Corona's two peso-denominated accounts. But, if I'm not mistaken, it was Senator Judge Alan Peter Cayetano who said that records of initial deposits are among the quote-unquote opening documents that should have been brought to the impeachment court. After reading the subpoena, Presiding Officer Senator Juan Ponce Enrile held that Senator Judge Cayetano's observation was correct," he said.

Diokno noted that the impeachment court subsequently directed PSBank Katipunan branch manager Annabel Tiongson to produce Corona's bank records and rejected the defense's attempt to quash the subpoena.

“The presiding officer explained that the purpose of the subpoena is to find out if Corona has not included the deposits in his SALN (Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth). This court also denied the defense's motion to suppress evidence on Corona's bank accounts,” he said.

Arguing that the same principle should apply in Duterte's case, Diokno maintained that the Senate has the authority to examine financial records that may be relevant to the impeachment charges, even if they predate the respondent's term in office.

“Sa huli, binusisi ng hukumang ito ang bank records ni Chief Justice Corona mula sa kanyang unang balanse bago pa man siya naging punong mahistrado. The panel of prosecutors respectfully submits that the subpoenas for the production of the bank records, AMLA documents, and BIR documents of the Vice President and her husband are proper and should be issued by this honorable court,” he added.

-Paraluman News