Photo credit: Leila de Lima

House prosecutor and former Justice secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday said opening the sealed box containing Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records during the pre-trial stage would help speed up the Senate impeachment proceedings set to begin on July 6.

De Lima said the prosecution panel has proposed unsealing the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box now, instead of waiting until the actual trial, to allow both sides and the impeachment court to identify and inventory its contents ahead of time.

“So since we are in the marking of exhibits, this is the proper stage na kailangan na rin siguro buksan ‘yan para magkaroon na ng inventory of the contents of that particular BIR box,” De Lima told reporters.

“So sa tingin namin, that would aid also in a more efficient and more expeditious conduct of trial kung mabuksan na rin ‘yan ngayon during this stage ng pre-trial,” she added.

The proposal was included in a manifestation filed by the House prosecution panel before the Senate impeachment court, which is currently conducting pre-trial proceedings and marking documentary evidence ahead of the formal start of trial.

According to De Lima, the Senate secretary, who also serves as clerk of court of the impeachment tribunal, may first need clearance from either the court itself or its presiding officer before the sealed box can be opened.

“I think the Senate secretary has to get the clearance from the court or at least from the presiding officer, tungkol diyan sa sealed BIR box,” she said.

The veteran lawmaker noted that postponing the opening of the box until the trial proper could consume valuable time, especially if the records are eventually used as evidence by either the prosecution or the defense.

“Kasi kung hindi gagawin ngayon, tsaka lang sa trial pabubuksan, and then tsaka lang sa trial ipepre-mark, kung gagamitin as evidence by either both parties. So mas maigi na, anyway ongoing pa naman ‘yung marking dito sa pre-trial ay makahabol yung pagbukas ng BIR box na ‘yan, ‘yung sealed BIR box para malaman na, mainventory na ‘yung kanyang mga laman,” she stressed.

De Lima acknowledged that Vice President Duterte’s defense team still has the right to oppose or comment on the prosecution’s proposal.

“I'm sure na ‘yung manifestation na ‘yan that would still be referred or the defense would still have the right to respond or to comment on the manifestation that we filed,” she said.

The sealed BIR records became an issue during the House Committee on Justice’s deliberations on the impeachment complaints against Duterte. Lawmakers decided to keep the box closed after BIR officials warned that publicly examining the tax documents could violate confidentiality protections guaranteed to taxpayers under the National Internal Revenue Code.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February after more than 200 lawmakers endorsed the complaint. Among the allegations against the vice president are betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, misuse of confidential funds, and the accumulation of unexplained wealth.

The Senate impeachment court has been conducting pre-trial proceedings since last week, with prosecutors and defense lawyers marking thousands of documents and identifying witnesses who may testify. The highly anticipated trial is scheduled to begin on July 6 and is expected to be one of the most closely watched political proceedings in recent years.

The House prosecution panel has argued that completing much of the evidence-marking process before the trial starts would help avoid delays and allow the Senate impeachment court to focus on the merits of the case once hearings formally begin.