MANILA – The submission of Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records to the Senate impeachment court following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s approval marked another major step in establishing the documentary trail behind the unexplained wealth charge against her, House prosecution adviser and spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers said Friday.
Barbers also welcomed the move of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to release the records, saying it allowed the impeachment court to obtain key documents through the proper legal process.
“This ensures that the impeachment court can examine all relevant records in its search for the truth,” the former Surigao del Norte lawmaker said in a news release.
Barbers said the tax records will not be examined in isolation but will be compared with Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, bank records and Anti-Money Laundering Council reports subpoenaed by the impeachment court.
“Taken together, these documents complete the documentary trail. They will allow the impeachment court to determine whether the Vice President’s declared wealth is consistent with her income and financial transactions,” he said.
Barbers stressed that the House prosecution has consistently maintained that its case is anchored on official government records.
“May resibo. May dokumento. May paper trail. Hindi ito usapin ng haka-haka o pulitika. Ang ebidensiya ay nagmumula sa mga opisyal na rekord ng gobyerno (There are receipts, documents, a paper trail. This issue is not about speculation or politics. The evidence comes from official government records),” he said.
‘Ministerial, not Palace intervention’
Meanwhile, House prosecutor Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro Party-list stressed that Marcos’ authorization to release Duterte’s tax records was in compliance with a lawful impeachment process rather than political intervention by Malacañang.
He also rejected suggestions that the President’s approval showed Palace involvement in the prosecution of the Vice President.
“I think wala naman. Dahil ministerial request naman po ito sa Pangulo. So ibig sabihin (I think there’s no intervention. Because it is just a ministerial request to the President. Meaning), 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, lalo’t higit (especially if) it will further the cause of accountability and further the cause of justice,” Ridon said at a press briefing.
The BIR on Thursday transmitted Duterte's tax records to the Senate impeachment court following the President's approval. The records also include those of Duterte's husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, and companies linked to the couple.
Section 71 of the National Internal Revenue Code allows income tax returns to be opened for inspection upon an order from the President under procedures prescribed by the government.
The documents will first pass through the impeachment court’s own review before copies are distributed and either side attempts to introduce them during the trial.
“Ang understanding po namin (To our understanding), as soon as it is submitted to the Senate Impeachment Court, the court will receive copies, and both parties, the prosecution and the defense, will receive copies of all of the documents, not just the BIR documents,” Ridon said.
The prosecution panel maintained that the President’s authorization advanced the impeachment court’s search for evidence without dictating how the documents should be interpreted or whether they should ultimately be admitted. (PNA)
