Metro Manila, Philippines – The Impeachment Court has partially granted on Monday, July 20, the prosecution’s motion to subpoena the bank and tax records, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents of Vice President Sara Duterte and husband, Mans Carpio.
The court granted the prosecution’s motion to access the financial records pertaining to Duterte’s bank accounts, the partnership of Carpio lawyers, and 19 out of a requested 21 business entities tied to the vice president and her husband.
The approved documents include those dated from 2007 when Duterte was the Davao City vice mayor until 2021 when she was mayor; both are unimpeachable offices. However, the court clarified that the authorization of tax records in this period was only for the purposes of establishing a comparative baseline.
Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero said the requested documents are “reasonably described, readily identifiable, and prima facie relevant.”
The court also allowed the prosecution to subpoena Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Mendoza.
Meanwhile, the court did not greenlight the prosecution’s request to subpoena the bank and tax records, and AMLC documents for the JTC Group of Companies and Pikimong Pikimong Philippines Corporation for failure to establish prima facie evidence.
The subpoenaed documents can only be used to help the prosecution prove their case for Impeachment Article II, covering Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten unexplained wealth. Escudero ordered that the prosecution would not use the records requested under the subpoena to allege more independent impeachable offenses.
“Section 8 of Republic Act 6713 requires public officials to disclose their assets including that of their spouses. Their financial interests are therefore statutorily intertwined for purposes of disclosure,” Escudero added, citing the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Escudero said that investigating Carpio’s bank accounts and financial records was not an unwarranted intrusion into a third party’s privacy.
