Lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, on Friday said legal issues surrounding the release of their income tax records to the Senate impeachment court should undergo judicial review.
In a statement issued July 31, Carpio said he and Duterte would continue to respect the authority of the Senate impeachment court and comply with its lawful directives.
However, he maintained that questions remain over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s authorization for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to release their tax records to the impeachment court.
Carpio said the authorization and the exercise of executive power involved should be subjected to careful legal scrutiny under the constitutional framework, while ensuring that taxpayers’ rights are not compromised.
He also pointed out that there was no indication that the BIR had issued any tax assessment or determination of tax deficiency against him and Duterte.
The lawyer further questioned whether the procedural requirements and recommendations under the applicable legal framework had been satisfied before the authorization to turn over their tax records was issued.
Carpio said these legal issues should be settled through the proper constitutional and judicial processes rather than through public debate.
“The submission of documents to the Senate Impeachment Court is a procedural step. The legal significance, admissibility, and evidentiary value of those documents are matters for the court to determine in accordance with the Constitution, applicable law, and the rules of the Senate Impeachment Court,” Carpio said in a statement.
Carpio also assured that their legal team would pursue all available legal remedies while continuing to respect the authority of the impeachment court.
Malacañang on Thursday confirmed that Marcos authorized the BIR to open the tax records of Duterte and Carpio.
The Senate impeachment court subsequently formally received the financial and tax records of the Vice President and her husband.
