THE SENATE, acting as impeachment court, will decide whether or not to subpoena Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records on Monday, according to impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero.
In an interview with Senate reporters, Escudero said that the decision to defer action on Duterte’s tax records was an offshoot of a closed door caucus over the House prosecution panel’s request.
“For the information of the parties as well as the viewing public, in caucus, the senator-judges agreed to study the matter further, given that not everyone has completed reading the memoranda submitted by the parties,” Escudero said.
“They want more time to look into the complicated issues involved in these two motions for the issuance of subpoenas,” he added.
When the impeachment court reconvenes on Monday, Escudero said senator-judges will be given 10 minutes each to ask questions to both the prosecution and defense panels before they start deliberating on the motions.
The House Prosecutors maintained that the records are crucial in establishing alleged unexplained wealth which forms part of the Articles of Impeachment against the vice president.
The defense, however, opposed the request, arguing that the motions lacked factual and legal basis, infringed on the couple’s constitutional rights to privacy and due process, and amounted to a fishing expedition because the prosecution was still looking for evidence rather than presenting it.
