Defense presents LOA issued to Sara Duterte, Mans Carpio

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The defense panel on Friday presented a copy of the letter of authority (LOA) issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the audit of the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, during the impeachment trial, despite its confidential nature.

Defense counsel Kristine Ferrer did this during her cross-examination of BIR Office of the Commissioner chief of staff, Atty. Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez, on Day 37 of the trial, tackling Article 2 of the impeachment case, which accuses the Vice President of amassing unexplained wealth.

While Ferrer was presenting the documents, Garcia-Marquez reminded her that the contents of the LOAs are confidential.

Private prosecutor Erwin Matib backed the witness, stressing that it was the defense, not the prosecution, who flashed the confidential documents during the trial for public viewing.

“We put on record that it was the Defense who put on the screen these LOAs, which, according to them, are supposed to be confidential,” Matib said.

Ferrer made a counter-manifestation, saying that their client gave consent for such.

“That is our client’s right also which can be waived, Your Honor… I mean, not waiver, consent [of the taxpayer],” the defense lawyer said.

Matib said the prosecution found it “ironic” that the defense presented confidential documents during the trial, when the latter opposed it during the direct examination on Thursday.

“Whatever our reason for flashing that, Your Honor, is already up to us,” Ferrer answered.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero allowed the defense to proceed.

“Stranger things have happened, Atty. Erwin,” Escudero told the prosecution.

To recall, Garcia-Marquez on Thursday confirmed that the BIR issued a LOA for the audit of the tax records of Duterte and Carpio. —AOL, GMA News