Palace Defends Marcos Order to Release Duterte, Carpio Tax Records

Malacañang on Friday asserted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s authorization of the release of the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and Manases "Mans" Carpio to the Senate impeachment court is in accordance with the law. This comes after Carpio said "legal issues" surrounding Marcos' authorization on their tax records "merit consideration." Carpio raised questions about President Marcos' authority to allow the release of his tax records. In the Philippines, taxpayer privacy is protected by the Constitution, but information can be disclosed under specific circumstances through legal procedures. This case appears to be one where legal judgment is required between the necessity of information disclosure in an impeachment process and the protection of individual privacy. Sources close to President Marcos explained that the President provided information necessary for judicial proceedings based on the law, demonstrating a commitment to transparency and accountability. However, attention will be paid to how this order will affect similar cases in the future and what discussions it will spark from the perspective of personal data protection.