During the 34th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Senate Presiding Officer Francis Escudero highlighted significant discrepancies between the declared net worth in the couple’s SALNs and their bank transaction records from 2007 to 2025.
On October 6, 2026, during the 34th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero disclosed notable inconsistencies between the total net worth stated by Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, in their joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) from 2007 to 2025, and the volume of their bank transactions within the same period. Based on testimony from Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, Escudero pointed out that while the couple’s bank accounts recorded transactions totaling approximately 4.4 billion pesos, the declared net worth in their SALNs only amounted to about 840 million pesos during those years. Even when considering the absence of expenditures, the declared assets fall significantly short of the bank transaction amounts, signaling a potential disparity.
The AMLC also noted that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a business interest of Carpio, had over 1.2 billion pesos in covered and suspicious transactions from 2022 to 2025, which included 319 million pesos in remittances from China. Attempts by the Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI) to correct reported data—from 2 billion to 2 million pesos in transactions under Carpio’s name—were not accepted by the AMLC due to concerns about their accuracy. Senator-judge Vicente “Tito” Sotto III expressed skepticism regarding the claimed bank system glitch cited by BPI for the discrepancy.
Furthermore, Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros raised concerns about Chinese firms linked to the Chinese Communist Party being behind some of the remittances to Cale88 Foods. These entities include China National Township Enterprises and Beijing Zhenweifang Food Company.
Despite the discrepancies and allegations, the Senate court, led by Escudero, ruled that the bank records submitted enjoy a presumption of regularity unless successfully rebutted, even as the defense declined to affirm their authenticity, requiring bank officials to be presented for verification. Both prosecution and defense legally contested various evidence and testimonies amid the proceedings.
The trial continues to underscore critical questions about the accuracy of declared wealth and financial transparency for public officials, set against the backdrop of broader political and legal scrutiny in the Philippines.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/1004995/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-day-34-discrepancies-in-saln-bank-transactions/story/