Vp Sara Duterte Impeachment: Tax Records Release: Procedure, Not Proof

Vice President Sara Duterte her husband Atty. Manases R. Carpio

Vp Sara Duterte Impeachment: Tax Records Release: Procedure, Not Proof

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | July 31, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. authorized the release of Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records to the Senate Impeachment Court on Thursday, meeting a deadline set by subpoena. The documents, covering the Vice President, her husband Atty. Manases R. Carpio, and 19 associated businesses, were submitted in sealed red boxes by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, alongside financial records from major banks and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

The turnover followed a strict legal process: under the National Internal Revenue Code, confidential taxpayer records may only be released with presidential approval. Senate Secretary and Impeachment Court Clerk Renato Bantug confirmed that the submission would not have been accepted without such authorization. Malacañang emphasized that the President acted in compliance with his legal duty, not with a political motive—stating that the decision sought truth, not partiality.

House prosecutors intend to use the records to support the second article of impeachment, alleging unexplained wealth. The court clarified that pre-2022 financial data may be considered only to establish a baseline for comparison and cannot be used to introduce new charges predating Duterte’s assumption of national office. Separate requests for foreign currency deposits and two identified firms were denied due to insufficient proof of connection.

In a formal statement dated July 30, Atty. Carpio stressed the critical distinction between process and judgment: “The submission of tax records is a procedural step ordered by the Senate Impeachment Court. It is not evidence of guilt.” He emphasized that documents must be examined, tested, and evaluated under the Constitution and court rules—where every allegation must be proven by competent, credible, and admissible evidence.

Production alone establishes nothing. It merely allows the court to determine relevance and value. It does not create liability nor erode the constitutional presumption of innocence. “Respect for the rule of law requires allowing the Senate Impeachment Court to perform its constitutional mandate independently and without external influence,” Carpio affirmed.

Responsible public discourse, he urged, must distinguish between the receipt of evidence and proof of wrongdoing. Fairness demands the court evaluate materials objectively, deciding solely on facts and law—not on assumptions, speculation, or headlines. “Justice is achieved through evidence, impartiality, and constitutional due process—not through assumptions, speculation, or headlines.”

The documents remain sealed and unopened. Their weight, admissibility, and meaning will be determined through proceedings yet to unfold. Until then, the records represent process, not conclusion—a reminder that in a democracy, procedure protects justice, and due process is itself a form of accountability.

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