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House Prosecutors Move To Open Bank Records, Tax Files In VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Case
Photo credit: Congress PH
House prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte are set to ask the Senate impeachment court for authority to open bank accounts and tax records linked to the Vice President and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, as part of their expanding case on alleged unexplained wealth.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution intends to formally request access to financial documents, including income tax records submitted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and previously undisclosed bank transactions.
Ridon said the move is aimed at presenting additional evidence that was not fully brought out during the House Committee on Justice hearings, noting that the prosecution is now operating under the rules of the Senate impeachment court.
He added that the request includes the possible unsealing of the so-called BIR documents and the examination of bank records involving the Duterte-Carpio couple, subject to the approval and procedures of the impeachment court.
During the earlier House hearings, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) reportedly flagged around ₱6.77 billion worth of covered and suspicious transactions involving the Vice President and her husband over 20 years.
Of this amount, ₱4.4 billion was recorded as inflows while ₱1.5 billion was recorded as outflows, with lawmakers noting an apparent net inflow of roughly ₱2.8 billion.
These financial movements, committee members pointed out, were not fully reflected in Vice President Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
Her SALNs, submitted through the Office of the Ombudsman covering her years as Davao City vice mayor up to 2024, showed a rise in declared net worth from about ₱7 million to ₱88.5 million.
The BIR has already submitted the couple’s income tax returns to Congress but earlier raised concerns about possible violations of the Tax Code if the documents were opened in public hearings. This led the House committee to keep the records sealed before transmitting them to the Senate along with the Articles of Impeachment.
Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Lorenz Defensor said the prosecution team is ready to present both evidence and witnesses once the case proceeds in the impeachment court.
He expressed confidence that the evidence they have gathered will be sufficient once fully presented and tested under the Senate’s rules, adding that the prosecution intends to pursue the case thoroughly and in order.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution intends to formally request access to financial documents, including income tax records submitted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and previously undisclosed bank transactions.
Ridon said the move is aimed at presenting additional evidence that was not fully brought out during the House Committee on Justice hearings, noting that the prosecution is now operating under the rules of the Senate impeachment court.
He added that the request includes the possible unsealing of the so-called BIR documents and the examination of bank records involving the Duterte-Carpio couple, subject to the approval and procedures of the impeachment court.
During the earlier House hearings, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) reportedly flagged around ₱6.77 billion worth of covered and suspicious transactions involving the Vice President and her husband over 20 years.
Of this amount, ₱4.4 billion was recorded as inflows while ₱1.5 billion was recorded as outflows, with lawmakers noting an apparent net inflow of roughly ₱2.8 billion.
These financial movements, committee members pointed out, were not fully reflected in Vice President Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
Her SALNs, submitted through the Office of the Ombudsman covering her years as Davao City vice mayor up to 2024, showed a rise in declared net worth from about ₱7 million to ₱88.5 million.
The BIR has already submitted the couple’s income tax returns to Congress but earlier raised concerns about possible violations of the Tax Code if the documents were opened in public hearings. This led the House committee to keep the records sealed before transmitting them to the Senate along with the Articles of Impeachment.
Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Lorenz Defensor said the prosecution team is ready to present both evidence and witnesses once the case proceeds in the impeachment court.
He expressed confidence that the evidence they have gathered will be sufficient once fully presented and tested under the Senate’s rules, adding that the prosecution intends to pursue the case thoroughly and in order.
May 20, 2026
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