Senate Impeachment Court to Decide on Opening Sealed BIR Box in Duterte Proceedings

The House prosecution team filed a manifestation on June 24 before the Senate impeachment court seeking to open the sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue box that holds tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases “Mans” Carpio. Rappler reported the filing occurred on the fourth day of the pre-trial conference.

Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima said opening the box during the marking of exhibits stage would allow an inventory of its contents.

She noted the House justice committee had previously decided against opening the box due to legal concerns. De Lima expressed hope that the step would expedite proceedings by marking and identifying the documents early. Senate Clerk of Court Renato Bantug Jr.

Stated that the impeachment court will decide whether to open the box. He said it remains an open question whether the court will act before or after the proceedings convene. Defense spokesperson Michael Poa declined to comment on the request and said the defense will issue a formal response soon.

The House prosecution also asked the court to allow at least two designated prosecutors—one from the public panel and one from the private team—to participate in witness examinations. It proposed that both Filipino and English be used during proceedings and agreed to disclose intended witnesses at least three days before their appearance.

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To 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. because of the volume of documentary evidence. On June 24 two additional evidence-marking teams were added, bringing the total to six. Four teams handle Article I on alleged misuse of confidential funds and two handle Article II on alleged unexplained wealth tied to Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.