Bantay Senado hails subpoena of Duterte bank, tax records

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

QUEZON CITY — Bantay Senado, a non-partisan citizens’ monitoring network for the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, welcomed the Impeachment Court’s decision on Monday, July 20, granting the prosecution’s motion to subpoena the bank, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and tax records of the Vice President and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Senator-Judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero ruled during Monday’s trial that the requested records are reasonably described, readily identifiable, and prima facie relevant to the allegations of unexplained wealth under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.

The group said the decision marks a significant victory for the Filipino public, whose foremost interest is that the trial proceeds with transparency, fairness, and fidelity to the Constitution.

It added that by allowing relevant evidence to be examined, the Court reinforces its commitment to conducting a thorough and impartial process.

“This is a victory for the public and for the very purpose of this trial: to get to the truth behind the allegations against VP Duterte,” said Prof. Cleve V. Arguelles, Convenor and Spokesperson of Bantay Senado. “This is a step forward for the Impeachment Court in ensuring that the trial will be decided on the basis of full evidence, and we hope this allows our Senator-Judges to arrive at a decision with greater fairness and impartiality.”

Arguelles added that the ruling reaffirms a core constitutional principle at the heart of the impeachment process, which is that accountability is a constitutional obligation attached to public office.

“The Constitution is clear that public office is a public trust. Public officials, especially those occupying the nation’s highest positions, cannot selectively invoke legal protections that can frustrate legitimate efforts to determine accountability. Transparency and accountability are not optional, and they are essential principles of democratic governance,” Arguelles said.

Bantay Senado reiterated its call for a trial that is transparent, accessible, and grounded in evidence, and said it looks forward to the submission of the records as the trial proceeds toward a full and fair judgment of the charges against the Vice President.

Bantay Senado is a flagship initiative of Team Pinas Foundation and currently counts more than 500 registered volunteers across the Philippines.