Malacañang on Friday defended President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s approval of the disclosure of Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records, saying the move followed due process and complied with existing laws.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos only directed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to comply with a subpoena issued by the Senate impeachment court as part of the ongoing proceedings.
“Sa ngayon, ang sinusunod po ng Pangulo ay proseso, batas, para sa katotohanan,” Castro said.
The statement came after Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, sought judicial review of the release of their tax records, arguing that the disclosure should be examined under constitutional and legal rules governing taxpayer information and executive authority.
Castro said Carpio and other individuals questioning the disclosure have the right to pursue legal action.
“Kung sya po ay may isyu patungkol po dito, karapatan naman po nya na magsampa ng anumang aksyon at tingnan lang po natin kung ano ang magiging resulta nito. Karapatan nya po ‘yan,” she said.
She maintained that the release of the records was part of the legal process and said individuals with no irregularities in their financial records should not be concerned about the disclosure.
“Tandaan natin, kung wala ka naman nililihim at wala naman makikitang anomalya sa mga records na pinabubuksan, hindi kailangang matakot,” Castro said.
“Dapat maging proud pa kayo na itong kita ninyo ay galing sa malinis na paraan,” she added.
The BIR reportedly transmitted Duterte’s tax records to the Senate impeachment court on Thursday after receiving approval from Marcos. The documents also include records of Carpio and companies linked to the couple.
The Senate impeachment court earlier granted the prosecution’s request to issue subpoenas for Duterte’s tax records, bank records, and other financial documents as part of the impeachment proceedings.
Photo courtesy of Business Mirror
Comments