Prosecution counsel Atty. Erwin Matib on Friday described as “ironic” the defense’s decision to publicly display the Letters of Authority (LOAs) issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, despite the ”confidential” nature of the documents during the impeachment trial.
During Day 37 of the impeachment trial on October 9, defense counsel Atty. Kristine Ferrer displayed on screen the Letters of Authority (LOAs), both dated April 29, 2026, issued to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, as the defense cross-examined BIR Office of the Commissioner Chief of Staff Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez.
Garcia-Marquez reminded the defense that the contents of the documents were ”confidential.”
“Ma'am, the contents of the LOAs are confidential po ha, but you are the ones...” Garcia-Marquez said.
Ferrer, however, maintained that the documents could be presented with Duterte’s consent, asserting that the defense was acting on behalf of its clients.
“Yes, we are the clients,” Ferrer said.
Matib then placed on record that it was the defense that displayed the documents, which he said the opposing panel had previously treated as confidential during the prosecution’s presentation of evidence.
“Your Honor, I think we want to put on record that it was the defense who put on the screen these LOAs, which according to them are supposed to be confidential,” prosecution counsel Atty. Erwin Matib said.
“Your Honor, counter-manifestation. That is our client’s right also, which can be,” Ferrer responded.
Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz“ Escudero pointed out that taxpayer consent was among the exceptions to the confidentiality rule.
“One of the exceptions is [when it is with] the consent of the taxpayer,” Escudero said.
“It’s just ironic for us that they are flashing this,” Matib said.
Escudero responded, “Stranger things have happened, Atty. Erwin.”
This came a day after the defense objected to the prosecution’s public presentation of Duterte and Carpio’s tax records during Thursday’s direct examination, citing confidentiality and data privacy concerns.
The court allowed the prosecution to present summaries and tables but required it to seek permission before displaying the underlying documents.
