Marcos Approves Release of Vice President's Tax Records

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the release of the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband Mans Carpio, and companies linked to the couple, with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) turning over the documents to the Senate impeachment court on Thursday morning, July 30. Presidential Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, addressing why the President’s decision deviated from his earlier stance of distancing the executive branch from the impeachment proceedings, stated, “Whatever the law says, whatever the process is, the President will follow. If that’s what the law says and if his approval is needed to open the tax records of VP Sara and Atty. Mans Carpio, and this is for the truth, he will not deny the public from knowing the truth.” She added, “President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not be an obstacle to truth.” The financial records are among the pieces of evidence that House prosecutors intend to use to prove Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth. The Senate Office of the Clerk of Court received bank records from BDO Unibank, Inc., Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank), Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank), and Security Bank Corporation. The delivery of the tax records comes after the Senate impeachment court agreed to issue subpoenas for these financial records, including bank accounts, last July 20. However, Duterte’s defense team argued that the request for subpoenas was illegal, “oppressive, unreasonable, and violative of the right of the respondent and her spouse to due process.” During a House justice committee hearing on the impeachment complaints against Duterte, it was revealed that a total of P6.77 billion in large and suspicious transactions flowed through the bank accounts of the couple from 2006 to 2025, dwarfing the amounts declared by Duterte in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). This development highlights the ongoing debate on transparency and accountability in Philippine politics, particularly concerning the financial disclosures of public officials. In the context of regional security, such as the South China Sea disputes, domestic political stability is crucial for effective foreign policy and economic management.