Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura on Monday presented records of billions of pesos in transactions involving Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and companies linked to them.
It also revealed more than PHP319 million in inward remittances from China involving Cale88 Foods Corporation, which was founded by Carpio.
The figures were part of the covered transaction reports (CTRs) and suspicious transaction reports (STRs) submitted to the AMLC from 2007 to 2025, which Buenaventura presented during the 33rd day of Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Transaction figures
CTRs are filed for cash or monetary transactions exceeding PHP500,000 in a banking day, while STRs are submitted when a transaction appears inconsistent with a client’s profile or lacks a clear economic purpose.
During the direct examination by Attorney Mae Divinagracia of the panel of prosecutors, Buenaventura said the AMLC recorded more than PHP4.4 billion in reported covered and suspicious transactions involving Duterte and Carpio from 2007 to 2025.
This included more than PHP1.63 billion in money entering their accounts or linked accounts, and more than PHP1.3 billion in money flowing out.
Buenaventura also said 15 corporations where Duterte and Carpio have interests recorded more than PHP4.55 billion in combined incoming and outgoing transactions from 2022 to 2025.
The total value of transactions flagged by the AMLC involving these companies from 2007 to 2025 exceeded PHP5.3 billion.
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China-linked transactions
In his testimony, Buenaventura confirmed several transaction reports involving Cale88 Foods Corporation, including inward remittances from China.
Apart from the PHP319 million in inward remittances from China, he cited a covered transaction report involving Cale88 amounting to more than PHP4.3 million or around US$75,225.
He also revealed a separate report dated October 31, 2024 involving more than PHP5.65 million, both classified as inward remittance international credit to a beneficiary’s account.
Furthermore, Buenaventura confirmed STRs involving Cale88 that stated there was “no underlying legal or trade obligation, purpose or economic justification” behind the transactions.
The AMLC official, however, stressed that a covered or suspicious transaction does not automatically mean a transaction is illegal.
He said he had no personal knowledge of Duterte and Carpio’s income or the source of the funds involved, and therefore could not determine whether the funds came from unlawful activity.
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Defence questions AMLC disclosure
The presentation of AMLC records also reignited debate among senator-judges over the confidentiality of the information.
The defence panel objected to Buenaventura’s testimony, arguing that AMLC records are confidential and should not be disclosed without following proper legal procedures.
Lawyer Mark Vinluan also questioned whether Buenaventura had obtained prior authority from AMLC’s council members before disclosing the information.
Senator-judge and Presiding Officer Francis Escudero earlier allowed the presentation of AMLC records, ruling that confidentiality provisions under the Anti-Money Laundering Act do not prevent the council from complying with lawful orders from the impeachment court.
He said AMLA’s confidentiality rules are meant to prevent leaks and unauthorised disclosure, but cannot be used to prevent the AMLC from carrying out its investigative and legal functions.
Senator Pia Cayetano questioned the ruling, saying that while the Bank Secrecy Law contains an exception allowing the disclosure of certain bank records in impeachment proceedings, the same exception does not appear in the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA).
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano also raised questions over the handling of dollar transactions, citing a previous Supreme Court ruling during the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona that recognised the strict confidentiality of foreign currency deposits.
“Where is the line between transparency, accountability, and when is there a strict interpretation of the law?” he asked.
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Escudero on AMLC confidentiality
Escudero later said the presentation of foreign currency transactions reported to the AMLC does not violate the Foreign Currency Deposit Act of the Philippines.
He cited the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ foreign exchange regulations, stating that the confidentiality of foreign currency deposits does not prevent banks and other covered institutions from reporting these accounts to the AMLC through covered transaction reports or suspicious transaction reports.
Meanwhile, during cross-examination, Vinluan asked Buenaventura whether large aggregate transaction amounts could prove the couple’s actual wealth, to which the AMLC official said he could not make such a conclusion.
The trial was adjourned shortly after 7pm, with the defence’s cross-examination set to continue the following day.
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