The Senate impeachment court will ultimately determine whether a controversial, sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box will be unsealed prior to the formal trial or during the actual impeachment proceedings of Vice President Sara Duterte.
According to Senate Secretary and Impeachment Clerk of Court Renato Bantug Jr., this procedural issue will likely be outlined in the upcoming pre-trial order or detailed in a separate memorandum to guide senators on how to move forward.
”Isa po ‘yan sa mga pinag-iisipan namin ngayon kasama ang staff kung paano po ang magiging latag namin sa pre-trial order,” Bantug told reporters.
The dispute stems from a manifestation filed by the prosecution panel requesting to open the sealed container—which reportedly holds the income tax returns (ITRs) of Vice President Duterte and her husband, lawyer Mans Carpio—so the documents can be marked as evidence. In response, the defense team submitted its formal comment on Friday.
Bantug refrained from disclosing the specifics of the defense’s response, noting that it is best left to the defense lawyers to discuss their submission.
When questioned if the dispute could simply be resolved during the live trial, Bantug emphasized that the schedule and method of resolution rest entirely with the senators sitting as judges.
”Yan po yung magiging depende sa impeachment court on how they wish to proceed. Sa ngayon, hindi ko pa masabi,” he said.
Bantug revealed his plans to submit a draft of the pre-trial order to Senate President Win Gatchalian by Sunday.
Once the draft is released, the prosecution, defense, and the impeachment court members will be given a three-day window to submit feedback, which could lead to further adjustments or a corrected order if discrepancies are found.
Should the Senate find the dispute too complex to resolve through standard paperwork, Bantug previously indicated that the impeachment court could call a separate, dedicated pre-trial conference specifically to address the BIR box.