Escudero orders return of VP Sara Duterte's tax records to BIR 

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero ordered Monday that the box containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio be sent back to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

On the first day of the Vice President’s impeachment trial, Escudero said the BIR box must be returned closed and sealed.

“This box was turned over to the Senate as part of the documents, including the Articles of Impeachment. However, the Court is not yet in custodia legis of this box given that there is no lawful order issued by the court for this box to be turned over to the Senate. Moreso that it is not yet offered in evidence, not even, as of yet, marked,” he said.

“The chair therefore orders that the BIR box---closed, sealed, and asked it is received---be sent back to the BIR, without prejudice to any action that the court may take,” he added.

If a motion is filed by either party for the issuance of a subpoena, Escudero said that they will await action on the matter.

The sealed box contains the income tax returns (ITRs) of the Vice President and her husband, as well as those of their businesses.

It was first submitted to the House Committee on Justice but was never opened ahead of the Senate impeachment trial.

At the pre-trial conference, the Duterte camp did not agree to the unsealing and marking of the box as evidence, but said it would agree to the opening of the box in an executive session. — RSJ, GMA News