MANILA – The House prosecution panel on Friday asserted that the Senate impeachment court has the constitutional authority to subpoena the financial and tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, saying the documents are necessary to establish the truth in the impeachment trial.

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the Senate impeachment court may compel the production of the records as part of its constitutional powers.

“Pwede ho itong gawin ng Senate impeachment court in pursuance of its constitutional power para ho mag-subpoena ng mga dokumento at hanapin ang katotohanan sa mga kaso ng pananagutan katulad po ng impeachment,” Ridon said during a press briefing.

The prosecution’s statement came ahead of Monday’s expected questioning by senator-judges on its motions seeking subpoenas for the couple’s bank records, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records.

Ridon said there should be no dispute over the request for bank records because impeachment proceedings are among the recognized exceptions under the Bank Secrecy Law.

“Una, wala ho tayong debate doon sa bank accounts dahil ito po ay malinaw na exception sa bank secrecy law, ’yung pong pagkakaroon ng impeachment trial. So tingin ko ’yan po ay malinaw sa ilalim po ng ating mga batas at Konstitusyon,” he said.

He also rejected the defense’s argument that AMLC records are absolutely confidential.

“Pangalawa, ’yung usapin po na AMLC documents, ang kailangan ho nating linawin doon, at hindi naman ho ’yan nakalagay sa probisyon na ipinapakita nila, hindi ho totoo ’yung absolute confidentiality of AMLC,” Ridon said.

He pointed out that the same legal provision cited by the defense allows the AMLC to share information with other government agencies.

“So ibig sabihin, hindi ho totoo na absolutely hindi ho pwedeng mag-disclose ang AMLC,” he added.

Ridon likewise argued that tax records may be subpoenaed even in ordinary court proceedings when necessary to determine the truth, adding that the Senate impeachment court possesses broader constitutional authority to require the production of such documents.

“Ganun din po sa BIR. Kasi itong mga dokumento pong ito, in ordinary courts, hindi ho Senate impeachment court, pwede po itong ipakuha para maisubpoena so that we can achieve the truth,” he said.

Former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, adviser and spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, said the requested documents are intended to strengthen the prosecution’s evidence and should not be interpreted as proof of guilt.

“Hindi ho ibig sabihin na guilty na ho ’yung respondent kapagka isinubpoena natin itong mga dokumentong ito,” Barbers said.

“Ang ibig pong sabihin nito ay pwedeng suriin ng impeachment court, ng mga senator-judges, itong mga pieces of evidence na sa aming paniniwala ay mahalaga para pagtibayin at palakasin ang aming inilatag na ebidensya,” he added.

The Senate impeachment court is expected to take up the subpoena motions on Monday before the prosecution resumes presenting evidence on Tuesday with the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, its final witness on the impeachment article concerning Duterte’s alleged kill threats against the country’s top officials.