On Day 33 of the impeachment trial, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) disclosed P4.4 billion in suspicious and covered bank transactions linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio, raising questions over financial activities spanning local and international accounts.
On October 5, 2026, the impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte entered its 33rd day with significant developments concerning alleged financial irregularities. Ronel Buenaventura, Executive Director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), testified before the Senate impeachment court about over P4.4 billion in flagged bank transactions involving Vice President Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio. These transactions, deemed as ‘covered and suspicious,’ include inflows and outflows within multiple bank accounts, and involve substantial cash withdrawals and check encashments from various Philippine banks in 2024.
The AMLC official detailed specific instances, such as the Vice President’s over-the-counter withdrawals amounting to millions of pesos in December 2024 and her husband’s single-day withdrawal totaling P41 million from two banks. Several transactions were flagged by banks for possible connections to graft, corruption, drug trafficking, and malversation of public funds. Notable flagged payments include premium payments to insurance companies and suspicious transfers linked to alleged illicit activities.
The testimony also revealed that the financial trail extends beyond local banks, with P319 million reportedly received from China and Hong Kong by Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company tied to Vice President Duterte’s husband’s business interests. This foreign remittance has raised national security concerns, especially amid geopolitical tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Senate presiding officer Chiz Escudero permitted the presentation of foreign currency bank accounts as evidence despite confidentiality objections, emphasizing the AMLC’s role in investigations under Philippine law. The defense challenged the public disclosure of AMLC reports, citing confidentiality laws, but prosecution rebutted that disclosures during impeachment proceedings were lawful and in public interest.
Separately, the prosecution indicated serious consideration about potentially withdrawing a bribery charge in the trial, though no official decision has yet been made. The ongoing developments highlight the complexity of the impeachment case and raise significant questions about the source and use of large sums of money linked to the Vice President and her family.
The impeachment trial continues to draw public attention given its implications on governance, transparency, and national security.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/1004873/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-day-33-amlc-witness-spills-p4-4-billion-suspicious-bank-transactions/story/