By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — House prosecutors have formally asked the Senate Impeachment Court to allow the supervised opening and inventory of a sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records box linked to the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing that the move would promote transparency and help avoid delays once trial proceedings begin.
In a Manifestation with Proposal on Certain Additional Pre-Trial Matters submitted to the impeachment court, the prosecution panel clarified that it is not seeking the automatic admission of the documents as evidence.
Instead, prosecutors said they merely want the court to determine the contents of the sealed package and allow both parties to prepare for the presentation of evidence during the trial scheduled to start on July 6.
“The proposal is one of transparency and trial management, not admissibility,” the prosecution panel said in a statement released Wednesday.
According to the House prosecutors, both the prosecution and defense have already identified BIR-related records among the documentary evidence they may present during the proceedings. As such, they argued that an early inventory would provide clarity regarding the documents available to the court.
The prosecution maintained that opening the sealed box under the supervision of the impeachment court would prevent future disputes and contribute to a more orderly and efficient trial process.
“Opening the box under the court’s supervision would help avoid future disputes, promote transparency, and facilitate the orderly presentation of evidence once trial begins,” the filing stated.
The panel emphasized that conducting an inventory would not amount to a ruling on the authenticity, relevance, admissibility, or evidentiary value of any document contained in the package.
Those issues, prosecutors noted, would still be subject to separate arguments and rulings should the records later be formally offered as evidence during the trial.
“Rather than interrupt trial proceedings later to determine what records are contained in the sealed package, it is more efficient to clarify these matters during pretrial,” the filing added.
Prosecutors also pointed out that the sealed BIR records box is already part of the official impeachment records currently under the custody of the Senate Impeachment Court.
They argued that a supervised inventory would ensure that both parties have equal access to information regarding the contents of the package and would support efforts to streamline the proceedings.
The request forms part of a broader push by the prosecution panel to expedite preparations ahead of the impeachment trial and minimize procedural disputes that could delay the presentation of evidence.
The Senate Impeachment Court is expected to take up the proposal as part of the ongoing pretrial conference process in the coming days.
Vice President Duterte faces impeachment charges stemming from allegations that include the misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats against top government officials. She has repeatedly denied all accusations against her.
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