EDITORIAL — No refuge for dirty money

After six days of grueling back-and-forth on the proper definition of a grave threat, the Senate impeachment court tackles today one of the most critical issues in the trial of Sara Duterte: should the bank and tax records of the Vice President and her husband Manases Carpio be opened to the public?

The prosecution had asked the Senate impeachment court last Wednesday to subpoena the records as well as the results of the investigation conducted by the Anti-Money Laundering Council or AMLC on suspicious financial transactions of the Carpio couple.

Defense lawyers have opposed such moves even when the House of Representatives justice committee was still deliberating on the impeachment of the Vice President.

The House and private prosecutors want the records made public to establish accusations of unexplained wealth amassed by Duterte since she became a government official. The tax records in particular are needed for comparison with the annual statements of assets, liabilities and net worth filed by Duterte since she joined the government.

Defense lawyers, on the other hand, say the prosecution’s request is a “fishing expedition” and “overly broad,” covering even the period when she was not yet the Vice President.

AMLC executive director Ronel Buenaventura had told the House justice committee that the council, in the course of its probe, had flagged 630 covered and 33 suspicious transactions totaling about P6.77 billion of Duterte and her husband across multiple accounts from 2006 to 2025.

Buenaventura did not provide details of the multiple transactions, but his testimony prompted Manases Carpio to sue him along with several congressmen and officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for the alleged unlawful public disclosure of confidential bank records.

Carpio’s lawsuit unwittingly confirmed the existence of the bank accounts. Bank secrecy rules are not absolute, and can be set aside during judicial and impeachment trials. As for the tax records, a mere order from the president of the republic, upon proper request, can compel the Bureau of Internal Revenue to release the tax filings for public disclosure.

It has often been said that those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. Assets legitimately earned should be seen as marks of personal achievement and a matter of pride rather than secrecy.

As the senators vote on the issue today, they should consider that laws on privacy, confidentiality and bank secrecy cannot be used as a refuge for dirty money.