MANILA – House prosecutors on Thursday, October 8, presented a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) official as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to shed light on her financial records, declared assets and income.
Private prosecutor Erwin Matib formally offered the testimony of Atty. Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez, chief of staff at the BIR Office of the Commissioner, before the Senate impeachment court.
Garcia-Marquez is expected to testify on BIR records concerning Duterte’s income, declared net worth, assets and professional fees.
Her testimony will also cover records relating to the ownership of Cale88 Foods Corporation by Duterte’s husband, Atty. Manases Carpio.
The prosecution seeks to use the BIR official’s testimony to examine financial information relevant to the allegations raised against the Vice President in the impeachment proceedings.
The presentation of the BIR witness forms part of the prosecution’s continuing effort to establish its case through documentary evidence and testimony from government officials.
The defense has separately raised concerns over the public display of Duterte’s tax return documents, citing privacy protections under the Data Privacy Act.
The impeachment court has yet to determine the evidentiary weight of the financial records and testimony presented by the prosecution.
