Impeachment court exempts 2 firms from bank, tax records subpoena

Defense counsel Michael Poa delivers his oral arguments before the Senate impeachment court on July 15, 2026. File photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta/ INQUIRER MANILA, Philippines – The impeachment court on Monday denied the prosecution’s request to subpoena bank and tax records of two of the companies associated with Vice President Sara Duterte, saying there was insufficient evidence connecting them to the respondent. The ruling came even as the impeachment court granted subpoenas for Duterte’s financial records, as well as those of her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, the Carpio Lawyers partnership, and 19 other corporate entities as part of the impeachment trial over allegations of unexplained wealth. READ: Impeachment court grants subpoena for Duterte’s financial records Article continues after this advertisement “The requests directed to banking institutions concerning JTC Group of Companies and Pikimong Pikimong Philippines Corporation are denied,” Senator and impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero said. He said the same ruling also applied to the prosecution’s requests for the companies’ records from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). Escudero continued: “Their General Information Sheets do not identify the Respondent or her spouse as shareholders, and the Prosecution, at this time, failed to show either a direct business interest or a clear and convincing basis to disregard their separate juridical personalities.” READ: Senate needs VP financial docs to rule on unexplained wealth – Diokno The same reason was cited for the non-issuance of a subpoena to the BIR and the AMLC. Still, Escudero granted the requests of the prosecution to issue a subpoena to the bank, AMLC, and BIR records of Duterte, Carpio, 19 other corporate entities and the partnership of Carpio and lawyers. /dp Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.