VP spouse to charge AMLC, lawmakers over bank ‘leaks’
Lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, will file a criminal complaint today against officials of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and members of the House of Representatives for allegedly violating bank secrecy and privacy laws during the clarificatory hearings on Duterte’s impeachment last week, according to Carpio’s lawyers on Sunday.
Named respondents in the complaint set to be filed before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office are Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., who also serves as AMLC’s chair, and newly appointed AMLC executive director Ronel Buenaventura. Also named were House committee on justice chair and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro; committee member and Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno; and Representatives Percival Cendaña and Leila de Lima of Akbayan and Mamamayang Liberal party lists, respectively.
In his complaint, Carpio alleged that the respondents “connived to illegally disclose and divulge classified confidential banking records” which are protected under Republic Act (RA) No. 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Amla), Bank Secrecy Law (RA 1405), and Data Privacy Act (RA 10173).
He accused the AMLC and lawmakers of “[leaking] various private records of transactions, expanding to insurance payments, time deposits, investments and utility bill payments during the April 22 House committee hearing on the Vice President’s impeachment proceedings.”
‘Weaponized’
Carpio claimed the alleged AMLC “leak” was used as “a tool for black propaganda and political harassment rather than a legitimate regulatory action.”
“It is intended to destroy the good reputation of VP Sara and the entire Duterte family. It is diabolical,” read a statement from Carpio’s lawyers, Peter Paul Danao and Nica Nacilla of Madrid Danao and Associates.
“Amla is being weaponized to the max even if illegal and contrary to law, for pure black propaganda with a view to the 2028 national election,” Carpio said, as quoted in the statement.
He warned that the “unauthorized and illegal disclosure” creates a dangerous precedent where no citizen’s financial data is secure under current bank secrecy laws.
According to Carpio, he was “constrained to seek legal action in defense not only of his wife, Vice President Sara and the Duterte family, but more so in defense of the banking and financial community especially the unwary general public.”
He said that under the AMLA, confidentiality and protection of bank records are absolute and without exception, for security, stability and integrity of the financial and banking system.
Flagged transactions
During the House deliberations on the impeachment complaints against Duterte on April 22, Buenaventura told lawmakers that banks flagged 33 suspicious transactions and 630 covered dealings worth P6.7 billion from 2005 to 2026 traced to bank accounts under Duterte and Carpio.
Of the 600 total transactions involving their accounts, the banks flagged 33 for being “suspicious’’ or involving amounts exceeding P500,000 in a single day, Buenaventura said.
Transactions considered “suspicious” under the Philippine banking system refer to cash flows that arouse doubt about the client’s identity, trade obligations or financial capacity.
Diokno said the disparity between the cash flows into Duterte and Carpio’s bank accounts and their declared net worth in their Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth could be a “smoking gun” that the Vice President amassed unexplained wealth while in government office.
Buenaventura also confirmed that the 18 financial transactions from the affidavit of former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who was invited as a resource person by the committee, matched records on AMLC’s investigation report.
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