VP Sara's husband asks court to block House from obtaining their tax returns

Lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, has asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to prevent the House committee on justice from obtaining and disclosing their income tax returns, citing violation of the privacy law and their rights.

In a 26-page petition for injunction with application for Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and or writ of preliminary injunction, Carpio and his lawyers said that the subpoena issued by the House panel ordering BIR Commissioner Charlie Mendoza to testify and submit the copies of the tax returns belonging to him, the Vice President, as well as other businesses linked to them, is “exceedingly overstretched” given that Duterte’s tenure only started in June 30, 2022.

Specifically, Carpio asked the court to issue an executive 72-hour TRO and/or 20-day TRO enjoining and prohibiting the House justice panel from enforcing, implementing and/or complying with the subpoena issued on March 31, 2026.

"A private person's tax returns are highly confidential in nature. It embodies the private informations of a taxpayer, duly secured and guaranteed by his constitutional right to life, liberty, and property and the equal protection clause," the petition read.

“Petitioners are constrained to invoke the judicial power of this court to stop the unconstitutional, illegal, and highly irregular subpoena of respondents [House committee on justice chairperson Gerville] Luistro and [Speaker Faustino “Bojie”] Dy [III]. Petitioners beg this court to act on this petition in deference to the rule of law, the protected privacy of petitioners and the confidentiality of tax returns,” it added.

In addition, Carpio cited Section 2702 of the Tax Reform Act, which criminally penalizes any BIR official or employee who illegally invades or divulges any record, data or information of a taxpayer.

The two impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President, on the other hand, accuse her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, mainly over the following acts: 

• alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential fund and using it as bribes 
• threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his family, including her desire to remove the head of the Chief Executive, and 
• alleged accumulation of unexplained wealth

The House committee on justice already found the two complaints sufficient in form, substance, and in grounds and is currently deliberating on whether there is probable cause to impeach the Vice President.

The next impeachment hearing to be conducted by the House committee on justice is scheduled on April 14, Tuesday. 

Other reliefs

On top of the request for a TRO, Carpio also asked the court to:

• convert the TRO to a writ of preliminary injunction  for the same purpose during the pendency of this case;
• prohibit the compliance, enforcement and/or implementation of the subpoena dated March 31, 2026;
• nullify or void the subpoena dated March 31, 2026
• permanently enjoin, stop or prohibit the House from implementing and/or complying with the subject March 31, 2026 subpoena
• declare as inadmissbale and without legal effect any document, record, paper, information or data acquired or produced in connection with the subject subpoena dated March 31, 2026, among other reliefs.

"They (tax returns) cannot expediently be released without notice to nor prior consent of the taxpayer,” the petition stated.

—AOL, GMA News