Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima stated on Wednesday that unsealing a box containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Mans Carpio, during the pretrial phase would expedite the upcoming impeachment proceedings.
De Lima, a member of the House prosecution panel, explained that opening the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents now would allow both the prosecution and defense to review, inventory, and premark the pieces of evidence.
This proactive step, she noted, would prevent unnecessary delays before the formal trial begins on July 6.
“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 said in an interview.
“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 pretrial,” she added.
The BIR originally submitted the sealed box during a hearing by the House Committee on Justice regarding Duterte’s impeachment complaints. However, due to uncertainties over whether the panel possessed the legal authority to open the files, lawmakers opted to transfer the box to the Senate with its seal intact.
De Lima pointed out that Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., acting as the impeachment court clerk, might require formal permission from the presiding officer or the full court before unsealing the box.
The former Justice secretary stressed that delaying the opening and marking of these documents until the actual trial begins would only waste precious court time and drag out the process.
The tax history of the Vice President and her husband is considered crucial evidence for the prosecution, especially regarding claims of unexplained wealth.
House prosecutors have previously indicated that these tax files will be cross-referenced with Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) to check for discrepancies in her declared income.