Subpoena sa financial records ni VP Sara inaprubahan ng Senate impeachment court

MANILA, Philippines – Inaprubahan ng Impeachment Court ang kahilingan ng Prosecution Panel na magpalabas ng subpoena sa lahat ng financial transactions ni Vice President Sara Duterte at asawa nitong si Atty. Manases Carpio, upang matukoy ang kapasidad ng mag-asawa na gumasta alinsundo sa kanilang kakayahan na nakatakda sa batas.

Sa ruling ni Presiding Officer, Senator-Judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero, inaprubahan ang subpoena sa ilang bangko na may accounts mag-asawang Carpio na itinuring na “Spousal Accounts” kabilang ang financial transactions nito na nakatala sa Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“The request for the issuance of subpoenas for the identified financial records pertaining to Carpio Lawyers is GRANTED, subject to their remedies in law and/or their right to assert a specific claim of privilege over a particular document, at the proper time. No generalized or blanket invocation of attorney-client privilege shall excuse compliance at this time,” ayon kay Escudero.

Aprubado rin ng impeachment court ang subpoena na nakatalaga sa kinauukulang banking institutions na sumasakop sa accounts ng respondents, si Atty. Manases Carpio, hiwalay man o magkasama, kabilang ang partnership ng Carpio Lawyers at 19 listed companies nito.

“The banks are ordered to submit to the Clerk of Court the documents on July 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM with the attendance of the parties’ counsels,” ayon sa ruling ni Escudero.

Ibinasura naman ng impeachment court ang kahilingan ng prosecution na ilantad ang records ng JTC Group of Companies at Pikimong Pikimong Philippines Corporation.

Ayon kay Escudero, na inaprubahan ang subpoena na tutugon lamang sa peso-dominated accounts na kaugnay sa Article II ng Articles of Impeachment na inihain ng Mababang Kapulungan sa Senado bilang impeachment court.

“The subpoenas granted shall apply only to peso-denominated accounts relevant to Article II.

Foreign-currency deposits are excluded, absent the written consent of the respective depositors,” ani Escudero.

“The subpoena directed to the Anti-Money Laundering Council covering the Respondent, Atty. Manases Carpio, separately and jointly, the partnership of Carpio and Lawyers, and the nineteen listed corporate entities is GRANTED,” ayon sa ruling ni Escudero.

Pero, hindi pinagbigyan ng impeachment court ang pagkuha ng records sa JTC Group of Companies at Pikimong Pikimong Philippines Corporation, matapos mabigong maipakita ang prima facie relevance.

“Finally the Court is cognizant of the Supreme Court ruling in Almonte v. Vasquez (G.R. No. 95367 May 23, 1995), where it stated that “a governmental privilege against disclosure is recognized with respect to state secrets” and “it is not amiss to state that even matters of national security have been inquired into in appropriate in camera proceedings by the courts.”

“ACCORDINGLY, the court, ex abundanti ad cautela, or out of an abundance of caution, hereby directs, in order to prevent the unwarranted exposure of sensitive AMLC methodologies, to submit the records strictly in camera to the Presiding Officer through the Clerk of Court on July 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM, who shall review these documents privately before turning them over to the parties, as may be warranted,” diin ng ruling ni Escudero.

Inatasan naman ni Escudero ang lahat ng kinatawan na dumalo sa tamang oras at petsa para sa pagsusuri, pagkukumpara, pagkopya at pagmamarka. Ernie Reyes