Presiding Officer Francis Escudero on Friday ordered the takedown and reupload of the livestream of the 37th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial after the defense panel displayed confidential documents containing the names of Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) officers.
The order came after defense counsel Kristine Ferrer presented on screen Letters of Authority (LOAs) issued by the BIR to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, both dated April 29, 2026.
BIR Office of the Commissioner Chief of Staff Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez raised concerns over the public exposure of the names of revenue officers included in the documents.
Escudero said he had directed the Clerk of Court to take down the original livestream and reupload it with the names of the revenue officers redacted.
“The Chair would like to address the earlier flashing of the names of the revenue officers. The Chair has already ordered the Clerk of Court to take down the original livestream and reupload it with the redaction of the names of the revenue officers,” Escudero said.
He also advised media organizations to exercise caution in handling and publishing the documents, reminding them of their obligations under the Data Privacy Act.
"Media entities are advised to be on the lookout for themselves in relation to the Data Privacy Act the showing of the original livestream of the Senate proceedings before the Senate Impeachment Court," he added.
Escudero further reminded both the prosecution and defense panels to be careful when presenting evidence containing sensitive personal information, including names and addresses, during the proceedings.
He warned that publicly disclosing such information could potentially violate provisions of the Data Privacy Act and compromise the security of government officials performing their official duties.
