Senator Lacson: BIR 'Green Box' with VP Duterte's tax records should be returned to House prosecutors

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Saturday (July 4, 2026) said the Impeachment Court should return the "BIR Green Box," which contains Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio's tax records, to the House prosecution panel.

He emphasized that the court currently has no authority to either retain or open the document.

Speaking over DZMM, Lacson said senator-judges agreed during their Friday caucus that retaining custody of the sealed box could run afoul of the law.

"One of the things we agreed upon in Friday's senators' caucus was to return the box because keeping it in our custody will violate the law. It is not the Impeachment Court or any court's role to unseal it."

He said Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian was correct in saying the Impeachment Court should not serve as custodian of evidence unless it has been formally presented and admitted during the proceedings.

"Sen. Francis Escudero is right in saying the Impeachment Court has no business safekeeping the evidence because it is a court - unless it is presented and admitted as evidence before the court by the prosecution or defense."

Lacson pointed out that Section 71 of the National Internal Revenue Code requires written authority from the President, upon the recommendation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance, before the sealed tax records may be opened.

He added that the records could also be unsealed if the respondent provides a written waiver.

Lacson likewise cautioned that if the Impeachment Court assumes the responsibility of deciding whether to unseal the box, as proposed by the prosecution, it could expose itself to allegations of grave abuse of discretion.

"The prosecution should not pass the burden of unsealing the box to the Impeachment Court. The prosecution may ask permission from the Office of the President to unseal the box. But it should not pass the burden to us because we will not do it."

On the court's organization, Lacson said the Senate majority bloc would leave it to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian to appoint an official spokesperson for the Impeachment Court, preferably a lawyer who would closely coordinate with Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., the impeachment clerk of court.

He also said the majority bloc hopes to settle the designation of the court's presiding officer during a caucus scheduled for Monday morning.

Lacson also assured the public that his verdict in the impeachment case would be guided solely by the evidence presented during the trial.

"As far as I'm concerned, I guarantee 1,000 percent I will base my decision on the evidence, not on political alliances or personal biases. That I am sure of."

He further maintained that the impeachment proceedings should continue even if some senator-judges choose not to attend, saying attendance becomes critical only when the court renders its decision.

"We cannot allow the court to be held hostage if some refuse to attend or even boycott the proceedings. This is our constitutional duty."

"In fairness to the Vice President, the trial must proceed so that if a verdict is reached to acquit her, she will be cleared. But the court cannot be held hostage by those who refuse to attend."

-Paraluman News