Senator Imee Marcos insisted on Tuesday that subpoenas for Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial and tax records should strictly cover the period of her current term as Vice President.
Marcos asserted that any documents or actions dating prior to Duterte taking office on June 30, 2022, cannot be utilized as grounds to prove impeachable acts for her current role.
“Nagsimula ang termino ng Bise Presidente noong Hunyo 30, 2022. Ang mga sinasabing ginawa bago ang petsang ito ay hindi maaaring maging paksa ng impeachment laban sa kanya bilang Bise Presidente,” said the lawmaker.
To support her stance, Marcos cited the Supreme Court ruling in Duterte v. House of Representatives, which provides that impeachment charges must stem from conduct or omissions committed while holding an impeachable office during the official’s active term.
The lawmaker—a known ally of the Vice President—clarified that she does not oppose releasing Duterte’s bank and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) files, provided the scope remains strictly tied to her time as Vice President. She pointed out that while the Bank Secrecy Law allows bank account inspections in impeachment cases, the access must correspond strictly to her current tenure.
Similarly, Marcos noted that tax documents remain protected under the National Internal Revenue Code’s confidentiality provisions, meaning BIR records provided to the impeachment court must also begin from June 30, 2022.
However, Marcos raised strong objections to subpoenas directed at the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), arguing that privacy protections under the Anti-Money Laundering Act remain in effect during impeachment trials.
She stressed that the Senate impeachment court is not exempt from these secrecy rules, particularly following updates from Republic Act No. 11521.
Her comments follow the Senate impeachment court’s decision on Monday approving the House prosecution panel’s request to subpoena bank, tax, and AMLC files related to Duterte, her husband Mans Carpio, and affiliated entities.
The court specified that documents predating her vice presidency can only serve as background information to assess her assets and financial history while in office, and cannot form the basis of standalone impeachment charges.
Prosecutors sought the records to back claims of unexplained wealth listed under Article II of the impeachment complaint against Duterte.