Jamaine Punzalan

The Senate of the Philippines, sitting as an impeachment court, listens to the oral arguments presented by the House prosecution panel—led by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno—on the issuance of a subpoena to the Bureau of Internal Revenue to open a box containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte, during the sixth day of the impeachment proceedings on July 15, 2026.   Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

ACCOUNTABILITY OR RIGHT TO PRIVACY?

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TURG_jx403U?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>MANILA — Senators will choose between accountability and upholding the right to privacy in weighing the prosecution’s request to open Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank and tax records in her impeachment trial, a former head of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said Thursday.</p><p>The prosecution sought the disclosure of Duterte and her husband’s bank and tax records to back allegations that she amassed unexplained wealth. Her defense team argues that requests to access her financial records were being used as a<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/defense-says-subpoena-for-duterte-bank-tax-records-a-weapon-of-fishing-expedition-1531"> &quot;weapon of a fishing expedition.&quot;</a></p><p>Senator-judges on Monday, July 20 will <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/senate-duterte-bank-tax-records-impeachment-trial-1706">decide</a> whether or not to grant the prosecution’s request to subpoena the financial records of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, as well as Anti-Money Laundering Council documents tied to the couple. </p><p>“Titimbangin ngayon ng Senado ano bang mas mahalaga: yung right to privacy o yung karapatan ng taong bayan o yung pangangailangan na malaman ano ba ang buong katotohanan. So it’s between accountability, transparency, nasa Constitution at saka yung personal right,” said Domingo Cayosa, a constitutional law expert. </p><div><a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/senate-duterte-bank-tax-records-impeachment-trial-1706">Senate decision on Duterte bank, tax records out Monday </a></div><p>During Tuesday’s oral arguments, House prosecutor Chel Diokno asserted that the impeachment court had constitutional authority over the financial records. He added that the defense cannot invoke the Bank Secrecy Law, which provides an exception for impeachment cases.</p><p>Diokno also pointed out that there is a precedent for scrutinizing tax records predating Duterte’s vice presidency. He noted that in the 2012 impeachment trial of Renato Corona, the court admitted evidence from before his appointment as chief justice. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/heated-discussions-on-matibag-bir-subpoena-spill-over-into-impeachment-trial-breaks-2045">Heated discussions on Matibag, BIR subpoena spill over into impeachment trial break</a></div><p>“Maganda yung ginawa ni Congressman Chel Diokno na ipinaalala niya sa mga senador na noong naunang kaso ni Chief Justice Corona, and’yan na ho yung iba sa inyo d’yan. Very challenging ‘yan. It is for them to explain bakit iba ngayon,” Cayosa told DZMM. </p><p>“Pag ikaw ay hukom, ang isang tanda ng integrity o kaya yung pagkapatas, regardless kung sinong nasasakdal, under the same circumstances, with the same set of laws, pareho dapat ang desisyon mo. Ngayon, kung sabihin mo, nagbago isip ko, iba ito, you’ll have to explain,” he said. </p><p>Defense lawyer Michael Poa argued Wednesday that although the impeachment court could issue subpoenas for financial records, it should still observe <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/defense-counsel-asserts-vp-duterte-s-right-to-due-process-1931">due process.</a></p><p>&quot;When we speak of due process, we offer a simple proposition, that evidence must be present to support each and every accusation. Pero hindi po yun &#x27;yong nangyari dito,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;In our legal system, it is not permitted to accuse now and then just look for proof later on. That is not how due process works. Hindi ho dapat natin pinapayag &#x27;yan,&quot; he said.</p><p>Poa described the prosecution&#x27;s requests as &quot;fatally overbroad.&quot; He noted that &quot;the prosecution is requesting for documents spanning almost two decades,&quot; including periods when Duterte held government posts that were not impeachable offices.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/defense-counsel-we-are-not-afraid-of-subpoenaed-documents-1754">Defense counsel: We are not afraid of subpoenaed documents</a></div><p>But Cayosa said, “If you’re a public official, you should shed some of your privacies. Kasi nga kasama ‘yan sa nasa posisyon sa gobyerno. Ayaw mong bulatlatin mga ‘yan, ‘wag kang pumasok sa gobyerno.” </p><p>“Any of our individual rights, sa totoo lang, can be limited ‘pag kinakailangan for public good, in the interest of justice… Sa aking paningin, kung mas mataas ang posisyon mo, mas malaki ang responsibilidad mo at dapat mas maging transparent ka,” the former IBP head said.</p><p>“The intention of the law — any law, hindi lang ng Konstitusyon — is really for public good. Anathema doon sa concept ng batas yun bang gagamitin mo ang batas to shield yourself from accountability,” he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/impeachment-court-expects-to-tackle-alleged-misuse-of-confidential-funds-before-august-2049">Impeachment court expects to tackle alleged misuse of confidential funds before August</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/senate-impeach-court-bars-prosecution-defense-from-remarks-on-withdrawing-witnesses-1930">Senate impeach court bars prosecution, defense from remarks on withdrawing witnesses</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/16/wrap-speeches-slamming-sea-games-probe-nearly-upstage-oral-arguments-0016">WRAP: Speeches slamming SEA Games probe nearly upstage oral arguments</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7DYaJwjy5KQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CDYo7_VSndY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ofIrdmCQczs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Senators will choose between accountability and upholding the right to privacy in weighing the prosecution’s request to open Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank and tax records in her impeachment trial, a former head of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said Thursday.</p>

Senators will choose between accountability and upholding the right to privacy in weighing the prosecution’s request to open Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank and tax records in her impeachment trial, a former head of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said Thursday.

Senators to weigh accountability vs privacy right in Sara Duterte bank records plea — ex-IBP chief

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Senators to weigh accountability vs privacy right in Sara Duterte bank records plea — ex-IBP chief

Jamaine Punzalan

Published July 16, 2026 10:00 AM PHT

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Updated July 16, 2026 10:02 AM PHT

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