The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has ordered the issuance of Letters of Authority to audit Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and several related business entities following a finding of probable cause for a formal tax investigation.
The agency said Duterte, Carpio, and nine firms linked to them would undergo scrutiny after officials determined the need to verify possible tax compliance issues.
Among the companies to be examined are Carpio Lawyers, formerly Carpio & Duterte Lawyers, Zelta Matiem Salon, City Hall King Chow Foods Corporation, Davao Bounty Times Foods Corporation, Madayaw Fisheries Inc., Davao Emerging Taipans Corporation, Amianan Shores Inc., Cale88 Foods Corporation, and Geometry Security and Investigation Agency Inc.
BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said the issuance of a Letter of Authority served as the agency’s legal basis to begin formal audits and was not a determination of liability.
He said the move was part of the agency’s duty to ensure proper tax collection, adding that accountability required consistent enforcement of tax laws where warranted.
The development came as legal scrutiny intensified alongside ongoing impeachment proceedings involving the Vice President over alleged misuse of public funds.
Law professor Mel Sta. Maria said the Anti-Money Laundering Act was intended to pursue wrongdoing and not shield individuals facing constitutional accountability, stressing that impeachment-related inquiries fall under the Constitution’s authority.
He also argued that constitutional functions, such as House impeachment proceedings, remain supreme over other statutes, including banking secrecy and data privacy laws.
Meanwhile, the camp of Carpio said the filing of complaints against the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and some lawmakers did not amount to an admission of wrongdoing, with spokesperson Harlin Neil Abayon II saying the move was an assertion of legal rights.
House officials, however, maintained that the legal actions were meant to deflect attention from the ongoing investigations.