As the Senate impeachment court resumes proceedings on Monday, a youth group marched to the Senate demanding that senator-judges compel Vice President Sara Duterte to disclose her bank and tax records, arguing that the documents are indispensable to uncovering the full extent of allegations that she misused public funds while in office.

Members of the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) gathered outside the Senate gates as the impeachment court is expected to decide on the hearing motions, including the House prosecution panel’s request for subpoenas directing banks, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and other government agencies to produce Duterte’s financial records. 

"It is the State's primary obligation to investigate and prosecute all instances of government corruption. It must leave no stone unturned," SPARK said in a statement.

"These documents are vital in ensuring that the full picture of Duterte's financial history as a public official is divulged and scrutinized by the Filipino people."

The Senate impeachment court last week deferred action on the prosecution’s motions for subpoenas after senator-judges sought time to study legal questions raised by both sides.

House prosecutors argued that the financial records are necessary to establish allegations of unexplained wealth, the misuse of confidential funds and other acts cited in the articles of impeachment. 

Duterte's defense team has opposed the motions, describing them as an unconstitutional "fishing expedition" that violates the right to privacy and statutory protections under bank secrecy and tax confidentiality laws. 

The defense has also argued that the prosecution should be limited to evidence attached to the verified impeachment complaint and cannot use subpoenas to search for new evidence during trial.

The group rejected the defense panel's argument that requiring Duterte to produce the records would be excessive and oppressive, saying public officials accused of corruption should be subject to the highest level of scrutiny.

SPARK urged senator-judges to approve the subpoenas, warning that rejecting the requests would undermine public accountability. 

"Any senator callous enough to vote no seeks to evade accountability, not just for the sake of the Vice President, but also for themselves. They are equally as corrupt," the group said.

The organization also renewed its call for Duterte’s impeachment proceedings should demonstrate that no public official is beyond the reach of law. 

"Duterte cannot hide behind her defense panel nor the senator-judges who are lawyering for her," the group said.

"The impeachment proceedings demonstrate a very crucial fact: there is no greater time than now to hold all public officials involved in corruption and remove them from office as soon as possible. Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot."###