What Sara Duterte's Sealed BIR Box Reveals About Philippine Tax Secrecy
A sealed green box has traveled from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to the House of Representatives, on to the Senate, and back to the BIR without anyone opening it. Inside are the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and businesses linked to them. This saga, central to her impeachment trial, highlights a critical tension in Philippine governance: the balance between taxpayer confidentiality and public accountability.
The Core of the Impeachment Case
House prosecutors believe the documents could help determine whether the Duterte-Carpio couple's reported income matches their assets and wealth. This question is at the heart of the second article of the