Lawmakers are seeking to examine the income tax returns (ITRs) of Vice President Sara Duterte as part of efforts to verify alleged inconsistencies between her declared income and reported financial transactions.
Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said comparing the ITRs of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, with their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), as well as data from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could help clarify questions surrounding their finances.
Chua said aligning records from multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue, would provide a clearer picture of whether declared earnings match the scale of transactions flagged in official reports.
Data submitted by the AMLC to the House Committee on Justice showed that banks had flagged a total of P6.77 billion in covered and suspicious transactions involving the Duterte-Carpio couple from 2006 to 2025. Of this amount, P4.4 billion were inflows, while P1.55 billion were outflows, leaving a net balance of about P2.8 billion.
Lawmakers also noted that from 2019 to 2024, the couple’s SALNs did not reflect any declared cash on hand or in bank, even as their reported net worth rose from about P7.25 million to P88.5 million.
Separately, records from the SEC indicated that several companies linked to the couple reported minimal earnings or even losses during the same period.
Despite the push to scrutinize tax records, the Justice Committee decided to keep a sealed package containing the couple’s documents from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) unopened for now. Lawmakers said the move was made out of caution after BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza explained that such records may only be examined during hearings conducted in aid of legislation and, in certain cases, through executive sessions.
Mendoza indicated that impeachment proceedings could fall within that scope, provided the review is done under the proper setting. Even so, the panel opted not to open the documents during its proceedings.
Chua maintained that the BIR had complied with the panel’s subpoena by submitting the sealed records, but argued that lawmakers were seeking access to the contents rather than the container itself. He added that constitutional provisions granting Congress the authority to compel and review evidence should prevail over statutory limitations if conflicts arise.
With the House panel declining to examine the documents for now, the review of the Duterte-Carpio couple’s ITRs may ultimately be taken up by the Senate, should it convene as an impeachment court following any approval by the House of the committee’s recommendation.