The Impeachment Court trying the case of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio is not meant to safekeep the so-called “BIR Green Box” containing the Vice President’s tax records, and may thus return it to the House prosecution team, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.
Lacson said the Impeachment Court cannot even decide on whether to open the box – much less unseal it – and may even risk being cited for grave abuse of discretion if it does so.
“One of the things we agreed upon in Friday’s senators’ caucus was to return the box because keeping it in our custody will violate the law. It is not the Impeachment Court or any court’s role to unseal it,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.
“Sen. Francis Escudero is right in saying the Impeachment Court has no business safekeeping the evidence because it is a court – unless it is presented and admitted as evidence before the court by the prosecution or defense,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Hindi Tungkulin ng Impeachment Court na Mag-Safekeep ng ‘BIR Green Box’
Lacson said that under Sec. 71 of the National Internal Revenue Code, opening the box containing the Vice President’s tax records will need written authority from the President upon the recommendation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Department of Finance.
He added another circumstance that will allow the unsealing of the boxes would be a written waiver from the respondent.
Also, Lacson warned that if the Impeachment Court decides on whether to unseal the box in accordance with the prosecution’s position, the Court may open itself to charges of grave abuse of discretion.
“The prosecution should not pass the burden of unsealing the box to the Impeachment Court. The prosecution may ask permission from the Office of the President to unseal the box. But it should not pass the burden to us because we will not do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said the majority bloc will leave it to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian to designate a spokesperson for the Impeachment Court, who he said should preferably be a lawyer and must closely coordinate with Senate Sec. Renato Bantug Jr., the Impeachment Clerk of Court.
As for the presiding officer of the Impeachment Court, Lacson said the majority bloc hopes to finalize this in a caucus on Monday morning.
For his part, Lacson gave a “1,000 percent” guarantee that he will base his decision on the evidence.
“As far as I’m concerned, I guarantee 1,000 percent I will base my decision on the evidence, not on political alliances or personal biases. That I am sure of,” he said.
He also maintained that the trial must proceed regardless of the number of attendees, noting that the number of senator judges present becomes an issue only in the rendering of the decision.
“We cannot allow the court to be held hostage if some refuse to attend or even boycott the proceedings. This is our constitutional duty,” he said.
“In fairness to the Vice President, the trial must proceed so that if a verdict is reached to acquit her, she will be cleared. But the court cannot be held hostage by those who refuse to attend,” he added.
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Lacson: Hindi Tungkulin ng Impeachment Court na Mag-Safekeep ng ‘BIR Green Box’
Hindi tungkulin ng Impeachment Court na dumidinig sa kaso ni Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio na i-safekeep ang tinatawag na “BIR Green Box” na naglalaman ng tax records ng Bise Presidente, kaya maaari itong isauli sa House prosecution panel, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Sabado.
Diin ni Lacson, wala ring kapangyarihan ang Impeachment Court na magpasya kung bubuksan ang kahon — lalo nang i-unseal ito — at maaari pa itong maharap sa reklamong grave abuse of discretion kung gagawin nito iyon.
“Ang isang napagkasunduan namin, isauli namin yan kasi unang una labag sa batas. Hindi ang Impeachment Court or maski anong korte ang mag-unseal noon,” aniya sa panayam sa DZMM radio.
“Tama din si Sen. Escudero, nagsabi wala tayong business mag-safekeep ng evidence kasi korte tayo, unless presented yan at iadmit natin bilang korte magpresent niyan prosecution or defense,” dagdag niya.
Sinabi ni Lacson na sa ilalim ng Section 71 ng National Internal Revenue Code, kinakailangan ng nakasulat na pahintulot mula sa Pangulo, batay sa rekomendasyon ng Bureau of Internal Revenue at Department of Finance, bago mabuksan ang kahong naglalaman ng tax records ng Bise Presidente.
Dagdag niya, maaari ring mabuksan ang kahon kung may nakasulat na waiver mula sa respondent.
Nagbabala rin si Lacson na kung ang Impeachment Court mismo ang magpapasya na tanggalin ang selyo ng kahon batay sa posisyon ng prosekusyon, maaari nitong ilantad ang sarili sa reklamong grave abuse of discretion.
“So huwag sa amin ibagsak ang burden na mag-unseal o magbukas. Kung gusto ng prosecution, humingi sila permiso sa Office of the President para i-unseal yan. Huwag kami huwag ang Impeachment Court. Di namin gagawin,” aniya.
Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na ipauubaya ng majority bloc kay Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian ang pagtatalaga ng tagapagsalita ng Impeachment Court, na aniya’y mas mainam kung abogado at dapat na malapit na makikipag-ugnayan kay Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., na siyang Impeachment Clerk of Court.
Tungkol naman sa magiging presiding officer ng Impeachment Court, sinabi ni Lacson na umaasa ang majority bloc na mapagtitibay ito sa kanilang caucus sa Lunes ng umaga.
Sa kanyang panig, nagbigay si Lacson ng “1,000 percent” na garantiya na ibabatay niya ang kanyang magiging pasya sa ebidensiya.
“As far as I’m concerned, 1000% guaranteed na ang titngnan ang evidence, di ang political alliance or personal biases. Sinisigurado ko yan,” aniya.
Iginiit din ni Lacson na dapat magpatuloy ang paglilitis anuman ang bilang ng mga dumadalong senador-hukom, at sinabing nagiging usapin lamang ang kanilang bilang sa oras ng pagbibigay ng hatol.
“Hindi kami pwedeng ma-hostage na kulang kami halimbawa 13 lang kami o ilan lang kami, di itutuloy ang trial. O mag-boycott sino man gusto mag-boycott sa kasamahan namin wag naman sana kasi ito constitutional duty,” aniya.
“Di pwedeng maantala ang trial in fairness kay VP Sara ituloy tuloy na lang para kung lalabas ang verdict na acquitted siya at least ma clear na siya. Pero di pwede ang hostage ayaw namin mag-attend diyan at makakaabala kami di yan pupuwede kasi forthwith nga,” dagdag niya.
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