President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. authorized the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to turn over the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, to the Senate Impeachment Court on Thursday.
BIR officials confirmed they had secured the President’s approval before submitting the documents, complying with the requirements of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) governing the disclosure of taxpayer information.
The agency submitted the records to the Office of Senate Secretary Rey Bantug, who serves as clerk of the impeachment court, before the deadline set under the subpoena issued by the tribunal.
The records cover the tax filings of Duterte, Carpio, and several businesses allegedly associated with the couple.
The impeachment court earlier ordered BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza to produce the documents as part of the proceedings on the second article of impeachment, which alleges unexplained wealth on the part of the Vice President.
In a ruling issued on July 20, the impeachment court clarified that its subpoena did not, by itself, permit the release of confidential tax records.
The tribunal noted that the NIRC allows the disclosure of taxpayer information only under specific circumstances, including upon the President’s order, with the taxpayer’s consent, or in response to requests from foreign tax authorities with presidential approval.
Also on Thursday, representatives from BDO and Metrobank submitted subpoenaed bank records concerning Duterte to the impeachment court.
The court likewise required the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to submit bank-related records and reports as part of the ongoing impeachment proceedings.
Photo from Philstar
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