The House prosecution panel continues to push for the opening and formal marking of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box containing tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio, according to Rep. Leila De Lima during the House prosecution panel press conference held on June 29.
De Lima said the contested BIR box is part of the prosecution’s official list of evidence in the impeachment proceedings, stressing that it should be opened and its contents examined as part of proper evidentiary presentation.
Responding to questions on whether the prosecution panel has a unified position on the matter—after earlier reports that lawmakers were divided during House Justice Committee hearings—De Lima clarified that the current stance of the prosecution is firm on the need to open and mark the documents.
“Ang pwede ko pong sabihin ngayon is that tungkol sa pag-oopen ng BIR box, saka sa pagpapamarka ng mga laman nito ay kailangan, ay dapat. Dapat talagang buksan yan, at dapat talagang makita yung laman,” De Lima said.
She added that the issue, for the prosecution, is not yet about admissibility or evidentiary weight but about proper identification and marking of exhibits.
“Wala naman ito tungkol pa sa admissibility or relevance… yung property value, tsaka yung evidentiary weight. So, yun po ang aming posisyon,” she explained.
De Lima also questioned the need for an executive session in handling the matter, insisting that the prosecution has the right to mark evidence already included in its submitted list.
“Hindi naman kailangan ng executive session. Bakit kailangan pa ng executive session? Yun lang naman ang gagawin muna,” she said, adding that confidentiality claims may be raised later in the proceedings.
She further noted that similar materials may also be part of the defense’s reserved evidence, including submissions related to income tax returns (ITRs) and business interests.
“Kasama yan sa listahan ng aming mga evidence. And ganun din actually sa defense… yung mga ITRs of the spouses, VP Sara and Mans Carpio, and yung mga companies na meron silang business interest,” De Lima said.
The prosecution maintains that opening and marking the BIR box is necessary to ensure transparency in presenting documentary evidence, as the impeachment trial continues to move forward under constitutional procedures.
