Metro Manila, Philippines – Mans Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, said the authorization issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to release tax records to the Impeachment Court, merits judicial review.
In a press release, Carpio said the authorization “should be evaluated under the applicable constitutional and statutory framework governing taxpayer information and the exercise of executive authority.”
He added that he and his lawyers contend that there is no indication that the BIR has issued any tax assessment or determination of tax deficiency against either him or Duterte.
Carpio’s camp also questioned whether or not procedural requirements and recommendations under the law were satisfied before the authorization was issued.
The Palace, Impeachment Court, and the BIR itself all confirmed that Marcos authorized the release of the tax documents as required by the National Internal Revenue Code.
The court had also issued a subpoena on the couple’s bank records and documents from the Anti Money Laundering Council, which were submitted on Thursday, July 30.
These financial documents will be presented as evidence in Article II, which touches on allegations of Duterte’s unexplained wealth.
“The submission of documents to the Senate Impeachment Court is a procedural step. The legal significance, admissibility, and evidentiary value of those documents are matters for the court to determine in accordance with the Constitution, applicable law, and the rules of the Senate Impeachment Court,” Carpio said in a press statement.
In a press briefing, Jay Tolosa, private prosecutor and spokesperson for the prosecution panel, maintained that the admissibility of the tax records as evidence will ultimately be decided by the Impeachment Court once the trial touches on the allegations of unexplained wealth.
“Naniniwala kami na malakas ang legal basis namin para makumbinsi ang Impeachment Court na tanggapin itong mga ebidensya,” he said.
[Translation: We believe that there is a strong legal basis to convince the Impeachment Court to admit these documents as evidence.]
