MANILA, Philippines—Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, asked a Quezon City court to nullify the subpoena issued for his yearly income tax returns (ITRs).
The House Committee on Justice, which is determining whether there is probable cause to impeach the vice president, had issued a subpoena directing Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza to submit the original or certified true copies of the yearly ITRs "of Sara Z. Duterte, her spouse, Manases Carpio, for the years 2007 to 2025."
Carpio said that he is not a party to the proceedings, thus the committee had no jurisdiction over his person.
"A taxpayer's tax returns, which contain personal informations relating a taxpayer's income and expenses, are confidential information. It cannot be divulged without notice to, nor the prior written consent of the taxpayer,” he said.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the committee, said in a statement that the committee "has the lawful authority to compel the production of documentary evidence relevant to its determination of whether probable cause exists to transmit Articles of Impeachment to the Senate."
"Claims of privacy and confidentiality cannot override the constitutional powers of Congress when exercising its impeachment functions and fact-finding authority pursuant to the Constitution and the House Rules on Impeachment," Ridon said.
