Some senator-judges express reservations over subpoena for Sara Duterte's financial records

Some senator-judges have expressed reservations about the ruling of the Senate impeachment court to issue a subpoena for the bank, tax, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, beginning in 2007.

Impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol said this in a press conference on Tuesday, noting that Senator-Judges Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, and Camille Villar have submitted separate manifestations regarding the subpoena.

Tongol said he has yet to clarify if Senator-Judge Bong Go has also submitted a written manifestation.

In a statement, Marcos, meanwhile, said she is only opposed to the issuance of subpoenas for bank, tax, and AMLC records covering periods outside of Duterte’s current term as Vice President.

“Nagsimula ang termino ng bise presidente noong Hunyo 30, 2022. Ang mga sinasabing ginawa bago ang petsang ito ay hindi maaaring maging paksa ng impeachment laban sa kanya bilang bise presidente,” Marcos said in a statement.

(The Vice President’s term began on June 30, 2022. The alleged acts committed before this date cannot be the subject of impeachment proceedings against her as Vice President.)

She also maintained that if there are issues regarding Duterte’s wealth acquired before she assumed office should be tackled in regular courts, and not the impeachment court.

Camille Villar, in her written manifestation, also expressed reservations on the ruling of the impeachment court.

“Consistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Duterte v. House of Representatives, the records to be produced must be confined to the impeachable officer’s term,” Villar said.

“While I agree that the Impeachment Court has the power to issue the subpoena, my reservation rests on requiring the production of records spanning nearly two decades, absent a clear showing of their direct relevance to the matters before this Court,” she added.

Senator-Judge Robin Padilla on Monday also opposed the court’s decision to subpoena Duterte’s financial records. He argued that if such “standards” would be set, then the bank records of all impeachable officials should be opened.

Pressed if the senator-judges indeed objected to the court’s ruling to subpoena the bank and tax documents of Duterte, Tongol said, “It seems like from the manifestation of Senator Alan Cayetano kanina (a while ago).”

During the trial, Alan Cayetano disclosed that he has submitted a written continuing objection to the ruling of Senate impeachment court presiding officer Senator-Judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero read Monday.

Cayetano also moved for his manifestation to be included in the records. –NB, GMA News