The Philippines’ bank secrecy law remains in force while impeachment proceedings are still at the House of Representatives, Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay said Thursday, stressing that exemptions apply only once the Senate convenes as an impeachment court.

In an interview on DZRH Thursday, Suntay said the House Committee on Justice is conducting a preliminary investigation to determine whether the complaint is sufficient in form and substance.

“At that level, we are still in the investigation stage… this is not yet an impeachment court, so the bank secrecy law still applies." He added that any attempt to bypass the protection would be improper.

Suntay morever backed the decision to withhold the vice president’s bank-related documents, saying that even if testimony comes from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), it still draws from bank transactions. He said such information cannot be presented indirectly to circumvent legal protections.

“If it is about bank transactions, then you still have to respect bank secrecy. You cannot go around it that way,” he said.

He also questioned the relevance of AMLC reports covering transactions from 2005 to 2021, noting that the vice president became an impeachable official only after assuming office in 2022. He said only records within the period of holding an impeachable position should be considered.

On allegations raised by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Suntay described them as hearsay, saying such claims must be supported by personal knowledge and properly authenticated documents. He added that AMLC data reflects cumulative transactions, both inflows and outflows, and does not necessarily indicate actual balances or illicit origins of funds. Transactions exceeding ₱500,000 are automatically reported to the AMLC, he said, but this does not automatically make them suspicious.

Suntay said the vice president’s camp may still challenge the proceedings before the Supreme Court if there are concerns over due process.

BIR blocks ITR opening

During Wednesday’s House Committee on Justice hearing, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) blocked the opening of a box containing the income tax returns (ITRs) of the vice president and her husband, citing confidentiality rules tied to the bank secrecy law.

The agency said the committee, still in the preliminary stage of impeachment proceedings, does not yet have the authority to access such protected financial documents.