Senate court may apply past precedents to Duterte financial records

MANILA — The Senate impeachment court will likely apply legal precedents from past impeachment proceedings when determining how to handle the disclosure of Vice President Sara Duterte's financial records, court spokesperson Reginald Tongol said Monday.

Tongol indicated that the court would draw on guidelines established during the impeachment trials of former President Joseph Estrada and late Chief Justice Renato Corona when deciding the scope and conditions for releasing the Vice President's financial information.

The spokesperson noted that financial records may be disclosed under certain circumstances, though he did not elaborate on the specific conditions or limitations that might apply in the current case.

The Senate impeachment court has previously balanced transparency with privacy concerns in similar proceedings, establishing protocols to protect sensitive personal information while allowing relevant evidence to be considered in formal proceedings.

The decision on how to handle Duterte's financial disclosures remains subject to further court deliberations and formal rulings.