Representatives from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday said they secured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s authorization, allowing the agency to submit Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records to the Senate impeachment court.
The BIR representatives told the Inquirer that they had secured the President’s authorization to produce the records.
BIR representatives submitted the records to the Office of the Clerk of Court by 9 a.m.
The Inquirer asked the representatives, as they arrived at the Senate, if they got Marcos’ approval for the documents, to which they replied, ‘Yes.’
Senate Secretary and Impeachment Court Clerk Renato Bantug likewise confirmed that the BIR was able to secure authorization from Marcos.
‘I wouldn’t have received it if there was no presidential authorization,’ he said in an ambush interview.
When asked whether the authorization also allowed the actual opening and inspection of the tax documents, Bantug said Marcos’ authorization ‘would give enough leeway for the impeachment court to decide on the contents of the BIR-submitted records.’
The impeachment court had earlier directed BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza to make the appropriate return on the subpoena seeking Duterte’s tax records in connection with the unexplained wealth allegations under the second impeachment article on July 30, at 9 a.m
Included in the requested documents were tax records of Duterte, her husband Mans Carpio, and other businesses allegedly linked to the couple.
When asked if the BIR was able to submit all the documents asked for by the subpoena, Bantug said they have yet to check the written contents of the submitted documents as they focused this Thursday on accounting how many envelopes and folders were inside the two red boxes turned over by the bureau.
‘It’s essentially mechanical what I did today, I’ll wait for the instructions from the impeachment court on what’s the next steps,’ he added
In its July 20 ruling, the impeachment court said the issuance of the subpoena alone did not authorize the disclosure of tax records, noting that the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) allows the inspection of taxpayer records only under limited circumstances, including upon the order of the president, upon the request of a foreign tax authority with presidential approval, or upon the taxpayer’s waiver.
Reacting to the development, House prosecution team spokesperson Renee Co said they expect to soon see a clearer, fuller picture of Duterte’s wealth.
‘Now is the time we let the evidence be heard, we let the evidence speak,’ Co said in an ambush interview.
Meanwhile, defense counsel and spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa replied in a message ‘No comment’ when asked for a statement about the matter.
The House prosecution panel sought the said documents to support allegations of unexplained wealth against Duterte.