The camp of lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio clarified Friday that the case filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) was not intended to stop or interfere with the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte in Congress.
Carpio’s lawyers, in a statement, said the petition was limited to preventing the alleged unauthorized disclosure of confidential tax records, particularly his Annual Tax Returns (ATRs) or Income Tax Returns (ITRs), which they said are protected under existing tax laws.
“To clarify, the case filed before the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City does not seek to stop, restrain, or interfere with the ongoing impeachment proceedings in Congress,” the statement read.
The lawyers said the petition specifically sought to enjoin the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) from “producing, releasing, or transmitting” Carpio’s alleged tax records.
According to the camp, the subsequent decision of both the BIR and the House Committee on Justice not to open a sealed box allegedly containing the ATRs effectively recognized the relief sought in the petition.
“The actions ultimately taken by the HCOJ and the BIR themselves demonstrate that what Atty. Carpio prayed for before the court was just, legal, and constitutional,” the lawyers said.
They maintained that confidential tax documents cannot be disclosed without “strict compliance with the safeguards and limitations imposed by law.”
Carpio’s camp added that they are still evaluating possible legal remedies, including filing a motion for reconsideration or an appeal, to protect their client’s rights.
“The issue before the court has always been limited and specific: preventing the unauthorized disclosure of confidential tax records — not stopping Congress from exercising its constitutional functions,” the statement added.