Sara Duterte camp OK with opening BIR box, but only in confidential session

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The prosecution panel questions the defense team's request to open the box only in an executive session

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte said it is “not averse” to the proposal to open the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box containing her tax documents, but said this should only be done in an executive session.

In its June 26 comment to the prosecution’s June 24 manifestation filed with the impeachment court, a copy of which was obtained by Rappler from a highly credible source, the defense team said parties who will participate in the opening of the box and pre-marking of its contents should be strictly prohibited from releasing copies to the public.

“It must be made clear that the opening and pre-marking shall not, in any way, be construed as admission of the legality of the BIR submission to the committee on justice vis-à-vis prohibition of disclosure of confidential and private data,” Duterte’s lawyers said.

“It should be noted that the box contains documents covering the years where respondent was neither an impeachable officer nor a public officer. As previously raised in the respondent’s Answer dated May 25, 2026 and pre-trial brief dated June 15, 2026, those documents cannot serve as basis for any impeachable offense as these pertain to a time prior to the respondent’s assumption of an impeachable office,” they also insisted.

The prosecution panel, in a press conference on Monday, June 29, questioned the defense team’s request to open the box only in an executive session.

“Why is there even a need for an executive session? They could simply assign a team, for example, to open it and have its contents marked,” said public prosecutor Leila de Lima of party-list group Mamamayang Liberal.

The House first subpoenaed Duterte’s tax records during its clarificatory hearings on the impeachment complaint against the Vice President in April. Lawmakers later decided not to open the box amid questions on whether they would violate the National Internal Revenue Code.

The prosecution tried to have the box opened during pre-trial proceedings, but the Senate clerk of court deferred the matter to allow the defense to comment on the issue.

Duterte’s tax records are expected to be used as evidence to drive home the prosecution’s argument that the Vice President acquired ill-gotten wealth.

– Rappler.com