HOUSE Committee on Justice Chair Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro of Batangas over the weekend maintained that the sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box containing the income tax returns (ITRs) of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte and her spouse could become a key record in the impeachment proceedings because it may either explain the declared net worth in her SALN or the P6.7 billion in transactions reflected in the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report, but the two records appear difficult to reconcile at the same time.
Luistro, chair of the House Committee on Justice, also confirmed that the sealed BIR box was among the records gathered by the panel and would be transmitted to the Senate if the House Plenary affirms the committee’s decision to impeach Duterte.
“I agree to that because the SALN and the AMLC report are contradictory. So, if the ITR will be able to explain the SALN, definitely it cannot explain the AMLC report,” Luistro explained during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
“But if it can explain the AMLC report, definitely it will not be able to explain the SALN,” she added.
The issue was raised in a discussion on whether the income tax returns could shed light on the apparent gap between Duterte’s declared net worth and the AMLC report, which has been cited in the impeachment proceedings as among the records requiring explanation.
The allegations against Duterte include questions over her declared wealth, including the increase in her net worth from P7.25 million in 2007 to P88.51 million in 2024, as well as AMLC records allegedly reflecting P6.7 billion in covered and suspicious transactions involving her and her spouse, lawyer Manases Carpio.
Last Monday, Atty. Peter Paul Danao, speaking for the camp of Carpio, said that the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) clarified the reported “P2 billion” amount was in fact “P2 million,” supposedly caused by a “system glitch.”
A Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has thrown out a petition filed by Carpio seeking to stop the House Committee on Justice from enforcing subpoenas for his tax records and related documents in connection with the impeachment proceedings against his wife, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
The Quezon City RTC Branch 81 ruled that the judiciary cannot interfere with the House’s exercise of its constitutional impeachment powers.
Luistro acknowledged that the sealed box could clarify parts of the financial record, but also stressed that whichever way the contents point, the figures would still require a full explanation in the proper forum.
“Either way, a lot of things need to be explained,” Luistro emphasized.
The Batangas lawmaker explained that the committee issued a subpoena duces tecum to the BIR for the income tax returns of Duterte and her spouse, but the box was never opened during the Justice Committee proceedings.
“Well, actually ang laman po nung kahon, I believe are ITRs sapagkat ‘yan po ang sinubpoena namin. We issued subpoena duces tecum to the BIR to produce the Income Tax Returns of the VP and spouse,” Luistro clarified.
“But as to the amount reflected as income of the spouses, eh di po namin alam kasi di nga po namin nabuksan,” she continued.
Luistro laid down the central question that the unopened documents may answer: whether the couple’s income tax returns can support the declared SALN figures, the AMLC report, both records or neither.
“Pero dalawang bagay lang po ‘yan. It’s either they will be able to justify the SALN, including the AMLC report, or they will not be able to justify. Dalawang bagay lang po yun,” Luistro noted.
“Yun pong P6.7 billion na AMLC report, puwede na maipaliwanag nung ITR na meron silang ganun karaming kinikita from their personal income,” she added.
Luistro also pointed to the declared net worth in the SALN and the estimated salary income attributed to Duterte and her spouse, explaining why the income tax returns could help determine whether the figures are supported by declared personal income.
“Yun pong P88 million na net worth sa SALN, kasi pag kinuwenta niyo po yung sweldo nila, P30 million lang dapat. But it’s P88 million,” Luistro explained.
“So we have to see from the ITR, meron ba silang malaking personal income from their businesses kaya nagkaroon sila ng net worth na P88 million,” she added.
The Justice Committee chair clarified that the income tax returns could either explain the declared net worth and AMLC-linked transactions, or fail to explain them.
“It’s either the ITR will be able to explain both the net worth in the SALN and the P6.7 billion total covered in suspicious transactions, or they cannot explain that,” Luistro stated.
Luistro was unsure which specific House body had physical custody of the box, but maintained that it was no longer with the Justice Committee.
“So I believe this is in the custody of the plenary already. As to which specific committee, I am not so certain,” Luistro explained.
Asked whether the sealed box would be sent to the Senate if the impeachment case is transmitted, Luistro confirmed that it would form part of the records that the House would forward.
“Kung ma-affirm ng plenaryo ang decision ng Justice Committee, yes. Even the sealed box of the BIR will be transmitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate,” Luistro confirmed.
Luistro clarified that the unopened box was not yet considered evidence in the strict sense because the committee had not examined its contents.
“It is not yet considered as evidence because as a matter of fact wala naman tayong nakita dahil hindi natin binuksan,” Luistro clarified.
“But we are interested to see what is inside as well. And we honestly believe that if we transmit this to the Senate, the Senate will be in a better position to open this,” she added.
