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Marcos' Approval On Sara Tax Records Not Yet An Issue, Says Impeachment Court
PHOTO CREDIT: PCO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s approval for the release of Vice President Sara Duterte's tax records has not yet become an issue in the ongoing impeachment trial, as the Senate impeachment court has yet to issue a subpoena directing the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to produce the documents.
The clarification came from impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol, who cited the 2012 impeachment trial of late Chief Justice Renato Corona as a legal precedent for how subpoenaed tax records were handled.
Tongol explained that during Corona's trial, then-BIR Commissioner Kim Henares first sought the approval of then-President Benigno Aquino III before submitting the subpoenaed tax records to the impeachment court.
"Ganoon po yung naging proseso noon kaya naging malinis yung pagpresenta ng tax records… That is one of the considerations of the Impeachment Court and the Presiding Officer when it will issue the same subpoena to the BIR commissioner," Tongol said.
The issue arose after the prosecution sought subpoenas for Duterte's tax records and other financial documents as part of its effort to support allegations under one of the Articles of Impeachment. The impeachment court has yet to rule on the request.
Earlier in the proceedings, the BIR transmitted a sealed box containing the tax records of Vice President Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, to the Senate. However, the impeachment court later ordered the records returned to the BIR, ruling that it had not yet issued a lawful subpoena or order authorizing the court to receive or examine the documents.
Tongol emphasized that the Corona impeachment serves only as a reference for the current proceedings and that any future request for tax records would still depend on the impeachment court's actions and compliance with existing legal procedures.
The Senate impeachment court is expected to decide first whether to issue a subpoena before any request for the release of the tax records is made. Should the court eventually order the BIR to produce the documents, it will determine the proper legal process based on existing laws, court rules, and relevant precedents.
The clarification came from impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol, who cited the 2012 impeachment trial of late Chief Justice Renato Corona as a legal precedent for how subpoenaed tax records were handled.
Tongol explained that during Corona's trial, then-BIR Commissioner Kim Henares first sought the approval of then-President Benigno Aquino III before submitting the subpoenaed tax records to the impeachment court.
"Ganoon po yung naging proseso noon kaya naging malinis yung pagpresenta ng tax records… That is one of the considerations of the Impeachment Court and the Presiding Officer when it will issue the same subpoena to the BIR commissioner," Tongol said.
The issue arose after the prosecution sought subpoenas for Duterte's tax records and other financial documents as part of its effort to support allegations under one of the Articles of Impeachment. The impeachment court has yet to rule on the request.
Earlier in the proceedings, the BIR transmitted a sealed box containing the tax records of Vice President Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, to the Senate. However, the impeachment court later ordered the records returned to the BIR, ruling that it had not yet issued a lawful subpoena or order authorizing the court to receive or examine the documents.
Tongol emphasized that the Corona impeachment serves only as a reference for the current proceedings and that any future request for tax records would still depend on the impeachment court's actions and compliance with existing legal procedures.
The Senate impeachment court is expected to decide first whether to issue a subpoena before any request for the release of the tax records is made. Should the court eventually order the BIR to produce the documents, it will determine the proper legal process based on existing laws, court rules, and relevant precedents.
Jul 16, 2026
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