Palace: Impeachment court should subpoena Sara Duterte records

Malacañang on Tuesday said it would be more appropriate for the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, rather than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to issue subpoenas for Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records. At a Palace press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro was asked whether the Office of the President had received any request to authorize the release of the Vice President’s records. She stated that as of now, none has been sent. However, she added, “But in our view, it is more appropriate for the impeachment court itself to issue the orders and subpoenas, considering that the President is also an impeachable official." Castro noted that the issue remains hypothetical because no petition has been filed questioning the impeachment court’s order authorizing the issuance of subpoenas. "At this point, the question is hypothetical. No petition has been filed yet questioning the impeachment court’s order allowing the issuance of subpoenas for the bank, AMLC, and BIR records." She added that cases involving taxes or alleged unexplained wealth may be supported by records obtained through a court order. "As far as we know, any case involving taxes or alleged unexplained wealth that may be substantiated by these records may obtain them through a court order." Castro also stressed that the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, has the authority and mandate to determine how it will carry out its proceedings. This highlights a nuanced issue regarding the authority and jurisdiction of impeachment proceedings in Philippine politics.