The House Committee on Justice on Wednesday decided against opening a sealed container from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Mans Carpio.
In a lopsided 38-6 vote with no abstentions, the panel rejected a formal motion introduced by Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima to unseal the documents. The decision followed a heated debate regarding the committee’s subpoena powers and the necessity of procedural caution.
Several lawmakers argued that prematurely opening the records could expose the proceedings to legal challenges and potential nullification on technical grounds.
After the tally was finalized, committee chair and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro announced the result:
“With six votes in the affirmative and 38 votes in the negative with zero abstention, the motion to open the box is hereby denied.”
Despite the refusal to view the contents, the committee ensured the documents would remain part of the evidentiary chain.
Iloilo 3rd District Representative Lorenz Defensor moved to formally include the sealed box in the committee’s official records, noting its valid submission by the BIR.
Furthermore, Defensor successfully moved to have the container transmitted to the House plenary and eventually to the Senate, which would serve as the impeachment court should the articles of impeachment move forward. These motions were adopted without any objections from the panel members.
Summarizing the status of the evidence, Luistro stated:
“Let the box form part, though the same was sealed, of the official record of these impeachment proceedings.”