Vice President Sara Duterte may be compelled to personally appear before the impeachment court to answer questions about her tax records and financial discrepancies, according to veteran lawyer Atty. Jojo Lacanilao.
Lawyer says personal appearance may be required
Lacanilao, a former spokesperson for ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno during her own impeachment proceedings, said that while it is sufficient for Duterte's lawyers or representatives to appear in court, there are instances where the Vice President herself could provide better context on certain issues raised in the impeachment complaint.
Key among these are the tax records and financial capacity of Duterte and her family. Lacanilao noted that discrepancies between her tax filings and actual wealth, including bank transactions amounting to billions of pesos, were previously presented during House Justice Committee hearings.
Public understanding hinges on VP's explanation
“In such issues, the public would better understand if the Vice President herself explains,” Lacanilao said. However, he stressed that compelling Duterte to attend still depends on the arguments presented by the House prosecution panel, which will guide the impeachment court's decision.
Lacanilao also expressed confidence that the House panel will eventually subpoena the controversial green box containing Duterte's tax records, even though it has already been returned to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). He explained that the impeachment court returned the box due to lack of custodial legis, or legal custody, over the evidence.
Background on the green box controversy
The green box, which holds tax documents related to Vice President Duterte, became a focal point during earlier hearings. Its return to the BIR raised questions about transparency, but Lacanilao believes the prosecution will seek its retrieval to strengthen their case.
“The impeachment court returned it because they had no legal custody, but the House panel can still subpoena it,” Lacanilao said. The lawyer’s insights draw from his experience in Sereno's impeachment, where similar procedural issues arose.
