MANILA — House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Luistro said Monday that the petition filed by Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband seeking to block the House panel from obtaining and disclosing their income tax returns (ITRs) is already “moot and academic,” after the documents were submitted to the committee.

In an interview over Super Radyo dzBB, Luistro said the ITRs had already been turned over during the April 14 hearing.

“Definitely, from my perspective, to stop the BIR from submitting the ITR to the Justice Committee is already moot and academic because it has already been submitted,” she said.

A petition was earlier filed before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court on April 13 by lawyer Manases Carpio, citing alleged violations of the Data Privacy Act and their constitutional rights.

Carpio and his legal team argued that the subpoena issued by the House panel—directing Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Charlie Mendoza to testify and submit the tax returns of Carpio, the Vice President, and their linked businesses—was “exceedingly overstretched.”

Luistro noted that Duterte assumed office only on June 30, 2022.

She added that the ITRs are set to be formally presented during the panel’s April 22 hearing.

“This will be the time when the commissioner of the BIR will be presented. So we will be hearing from the commissioner about the ITR,” she said.

Luistro also said the BIR had raised possible limits on disclosure due to confidentiality rules.

“I understand that this is likewise a public document. However, we have limitations concerning confidentiality. I think this is the concern of our BIR Commissioner,” she said.

“We have not discussed this thoroughly yet, but I anticipate hearing the position of the BIR,” she added.

Meanwhile, Luistro clarified that the subpoenas issued by the committee were not for bank records or bank personnel, but for reports from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

On Wednesday, the panel is scheduled to examine allegations of unexplained wealth involving the Vice President using AMLC reports.

“We did not subpoena bank records. We did not subpoena bank employees. We did not subpoena bank officials. What we subpoenaed are AMLC reports and the AMLC,” she said.

Luistro explained that the committee requested AMLC reports on covered transactions worth P500,000 and above, as well as suspicious transactions regardless of amount.

“This will focus merely on the report to be submitted by the AMLC.”