THE House prosecution panel on Monday maintained that Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial and tax records are essential in establishing her full financial standing and determining whether her declared assets and wealth are consistent with her lawful income.
Lawyer Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr., legal spokesperson and counsel for the House prosecutors, made the statement as the Senate impeachment court prepared to resume oral arguments on the prosecution’s request to subpoena Duterte’s bank records, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filings and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents.
Tolosa said the records are critical to proving the second article of impeachment, which alleges that Duterte amassed unexplained wealth.
“Dahil sa pamamagitan ng mga dokumentong ito, dito ho natin makikita ’yung complete financial standing ng Vice President,” he said.
He said the prosecution intends to compare Duterte’s declared assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) with her reported lawful income in her BIR filings and her actual financial transactions reflected in AMLC documents and bank records.
“Tulad ho nang nasabi namin dati, napakahalaga ho na maikumpara natin ang buong yaman na dineklara ng Vice President sa kanyang SALN, at ikumpara ito doon sa kanyang mga BIR tax filings,” Tolosa said.
Tolosa insisted that the prosecution’s request is backed by “strong legal grounds” and is necessary to establish the truth.
He said the subpoena request is anchored on the Constitution, special laws governing financial records, jurisprudence, and impeachment precedent, including the trial of late Chief Justice Renato Corona.
“Matibay ho ang basehan namin dito. It’s grounded on the Constitution, the special laws governing these specific financial documents. It’s based on jurisprudence and impeachment precedent, tulad doon sa nangyari sa impeachment proceedings ng late Chief Justice Corona,” he said.
Tolosa also recalled that AMLC records presented during the House impeachment proceedings showed that Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, had financial transactions totaling about P6.7 billion.
The Vice President’s camp has argued the amount was “bloated” because the same funds may have repeatedly moved in and out of her accounts or reflected transfers between her own bank accounts.
Tolosa, however, pointed out that Duterte declared a net worth of only about P80 million in her SALN.
“Let’s remember, in the SALN, the total net worth that was declared was only P80 million. If we’re talking about P6.7 billion in financial transactions, gaano karaming beses ho ’yan papalabasin at papapasukin ng paulit-ulit?” Tolosa asked.
He said opening the bank records would allow the impeachment court to determine whether Duterte’s explanation is supported by the evidence.
“Hindi ho ba makakatulong para sa lahat at para din sa kanila (defense) na buksan itong mga bank records na ito para once and for all, ma-settle, magkano ba talaga nilalaman ng mga bank accounts niya?” Tolosa said.
“Makakatulong ho ito sa lahat, para din ho sa kanila, kung ’yan ang position nila, para mapatunayan na talagang inosente sila sa charges na ito,” he stressed.
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