THE defense should allow the production of the Duterte-Carpio financial and tax records if the documents contain nothing that would substantiate the impeachment allegation of unexplained wealth.
The prosecution argued that opening the records could vindicate Vice President Sara Z. Duterte as readily as it could support the charges against her.
“Kasi nga, kung wala naman ho talaga tayong itinatago sa tax documents, AMLC documents, bank accounts, tingin ko iyong mas magandang course of action ay ibuyangyang na lang po natin itong mga dokumentong ito,” Ridon stressed.
The pending requests cover bank accounts identified by their numbers, branches and institutions, certified BIR documents and AMLC reports on transactions linked to Duterte and Carpio.
“Para mapahiya iyong posisyon kung wala naman ho talagang laman at wala po talagang sustansya iyong pagsilip at pagbubukas nitong mga dokumentong ito,” Ridon added.
House records cite more than P6.7 billion in alleged covered and suspicious transactions linked to the couple, while the Articles of Impeachment allege that Duterte’s declared wealth increased sharply despite comparatively lower lawful income.
Ridon urged the Senate to look beyond technical objections and determine what the actual documents show before reaching any conclusion about the alleged financial discrepancies.
“Very important ho talagang pag-usapan dito hindi iyong teknikalidad, lalo sa isang impeachment proceeding na hindi lang naman po ito legal na proseso kundi pampolitika at pang-konstitusyonal po na proseso,” he explained.
The Bank Secrecy Law explicitly permits inquiry into deposits in impeachment cases, although separate disputes remain over the production of AMLC and tax records.
“Ibig sabihin, ang pinakamahalaga ho sa atin, ano ba talaga iyong itsura ng mga dokumentong ito?” Ridon asked.
The House panel already has identifying details for the bank accounts but still requires Senate subpoenas compelling the financial institutions and account managers to produce certified records and testify.
“We have the bank accounts, the numbers, the branches and the bank themselves, pero iyong subpoena po on the bank accounts and on the bank managers iyon po ang pending,” Ridon added.
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