Witness flags exposure of BIR officers’ names after defense shows LOAs

MANILA, Philippines — A Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) official on Friday raised to the impeachment court her concern about the exposure of the names of their revenue officers in public after the defense team displayed confidential Letters of Authority (LOAs) on screen.

Prosecution witness Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez, chief-of-staff of the BIR Commissioner, brought up the issue after defense counsel Kristine Ferrer presented the LOAs issued to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, during cross-examination.

Since Thursday, Garcia-Marquez reiterated that the contents of the LOAs cannot be disclosed to the public.

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While awaiting Ferrer to continue with her questions, Garcia-Marquez called the attention of Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero.

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“Gusto ko lang pong i-raise, nung na-flash po yung copy ng LOA sa screen kanina…” she said.

(I just wanted to raise, the copies of the LOAs flashed a while ago…)

Escudero immediately assured the witness that she would not be held responsible for the incident.

“Wala kang kagagawan doon,” Escudero said. (You did not have anything to do with that)

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Garcia-Marquez clarified that her concern was the exposure of the revenue officers’ names, which she said should have been redacted.

“It should have been redacted,” she said.

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READ: Defense flashes confidential BIR tax audit letters for Duterte, Carpio

Escudero reaffirmed the witness that the names would be redacted from the documents to be submitted to the court.

“But it was already flashed on the screen. Ang concern ko doon, Your Honor, is the names, yun lang po,” Garcia-Marquez reiterated.

(But it was already flashed on the screen. My concern there, Your Honor, is the names, that’s all)

Prosecution then quickly interjected saying, “So we manifest, Your Honor, that has been a violation of the privacy of the people involved, Your Honor. Their names were flashed on the screen for everyone to see.”

“Touché again. The court will look into it, Attorney Ann, and shall consult with you before we excuse you,” Escudero said.

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A LOA authorizes examiners from the BIR’s National Investigation Division to conduct a tax audit on the taxpayer. It also indicates the name of the officers assigned to do the examination. /jpv