Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan on Wednesday accused Vice President Sara Duterte‘s camp of blocking evidence by opposing the prosecution’s request to subpoena her bank and tax records.
Kapunan made the remarks after the Senate impeachment court deferred ruling on the prosecution’s request for subpoenas covering the bank records and tax documents of Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio and businesses allegedly linked to them.
“The Vice President recently said the prosecution is just all noise, no evidence. And yet now that we are presenting evidence, who is blocking the evidence?” Kapunan told reporters.
She argued that if Duterte has nothing to hide, there should be no objection to presenting the requested documents before the impeachment court.
House prosecutor Lorenz Defensor said the Constitution’s accountability provisions prevail over ordinary laws, arguing that the Senate impeachment court has the authority to compel the production of relevant documents.
Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. also cited the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, saying the Bank Secrecy Law recognizes impeachment proceedings as an exception to bank confidentiality.
The defense opposed the subpoenas, with defense spokesperson Michael Poa arguing that the issue is not whether the Senate has subpoena powers but whether those powers may be exercised in a manner that disregards due process.
Poa later told reporters the defense is not afraid of the requested documents but insists any evidence presented in the impeachment trial must comply with constitutional and legal requirements.
