The House prosecution panel requested the opening of a sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box submitted as part of the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing that doing so during the pre-trial stage would help expedite the trial.
During a press briefing on June 24, House prosecution team member and ML Party-list Representative Leila de Lima said the sealed box was previously transmitted to the Senate without being opened by the House Committee on Justice.
According to De Lima, the committee had earlier decided not to open the box despite a subpoena issued to the BIR, citing concerns over confidentiality provisions under the National Internal Revenue Code.
“I was insisting already on the opening of that BIR box, but the majority decided otherwise,” De Lima said. “That particular BIR box was transmitted to the Senate na nakaseal, na hindi pa yun nakita ng members of the Justice Committee.”
The prosecution is now seeking to open the box during the ongoing marking of exhibits in the pre-trial process to allow an inventory of its contents and determine its relevance to the case.
“Sa tingin namin that would aid also in more efficient and more expeditious conduct of trial kung mabuksan na rin yan ngayon during the stage ng pre-trial,” she said.
De Lima explained that if the box remains sealed, it may only be opened during the actual trial when the contents are formally presented and marked as evidence, potentially causing delays.
She added that any decision regarding the opening of the sealed BIR box would likely require clearance from the impeachment court or the presiding officer. The Senate Secretary may also need authorization before any action can be taken.
“We will leave it up to them how they are going to resolve that matter,” De Lima said, noting that the defense panel would still have the opportunity to respond to the prosecution’s manifestation.
The request forms part of a four-point manifestation filed by the prosecution panel as pre-trial proceedings continue in the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte.
