Senate Clerk of Court and Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. said only the Impeachment Court has the authority to decide whether the sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box submitted by the House prosecution panel should be opened, marked as evidence or remain sealed.
Bantug said the issue involving the sealed box is a substantive matter that falls exclusively under the authority of the Impeachment Court.
His statement came after the House prosecution panel confirmed that the sealed BIR box it brought from the House of Representatives has not yet been opened or marked as evidence.
The prosecution panel has also filed a manifestation before the Impeachment Court requesting that the box be opened, saying its contents are important for the public to see.
Meanwhile, the defense panel clarified that it recently requested additional time to comment on the prosecution’s manifestation before the court acts on the request.
According to the defense, seeking time to respond is the proper legal procedure before the Impeachment Court issues a ruling on the matter.
The defense team also agreed with Bantug’s position that only the Impeachment Court has the authority to resolve issues concerning the sealed BIR box.
As of now, the Impeachment Court has not issued a ruling on the prosecution’s request to open the box or determine whether it should be marked as evidence.
The matter remains pending before the court as both the prosecution and defense await its decision.
