AMLC exec: Firm linked to VP Sara's husband had P1.2 billion in covered, suspicious transactions

Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura on Tuesday said that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company linked to Mans Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, had aggregate transactions amounting to P1.25 billion from 2022 to 2025.

Buenaventura disclosed this during the interjection of Senator-Judge Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on the Day 34 of the impeachment trial.

"Ang meron po kaming na-indicate na year ay yung CTRs (Covered Transaction Reports), STRs (Suspicious Transaction Reports) po na transactions po ng Table 4, 2022 to 2025,” the AMLC official said.

“Doon po yung Cale88 po ang total aggregated amount po niya is P1,254,736,297.08,” he added.

(The table did not indicate the specific year. The years we have indicated apply to the CTRs and STRs associated with the transactions covering 2022 to 2025. Regarding Cale88, the total aggregated amount is P1,254,736,297.08.)

From Buenaventura’s testimony, Pangilinan said that Cale88 was incorporated in 2021, had transactions totaling more than P1.25 billion from 2022 to 2025, and that Carpio’s interest in the company increased to 47.5% by 2024, before his name disappeared from the General Information Sheet (GIS) in 2025.

Unusual pattern

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian likewise described as “unusual” the P2.7 billion in financial transactions linked to Duterte from 2009 to 2013.

“Tinitingnan ko itong report ninyo, at may nakita akong pattern dito. From 2009 to 2013, ang transactions reported by VP Sara ay, for that time frame alone, was about P2.7 billion. Lumalabas parang those transactions were almost 70 to 80 percent of the total P3.3 billion,” Gatchalian said.

(I was looking at your report, and I saw a pattern here. From 2009 to 2013, the transactions reported by VP Sara were, for that time frame alone, about P2.7 billion. It appears that those transactions were almost 70 to 80 percent of the total P3.3 billion.)

“So for example, sa 2009, P700 million; 2010, P600 million; 2011, P500 million… It’s an unusual trend, compared to the others na on the average P40 million lang ang transactions. Ito, it’s about P2.7 billion in a span of five years,” he added.

(So for example, in 2009, there was P700 million; 2010, P600 million; 2011, P500 million… It's an unusual trend, compared to the others that on average are only P40 million in transactions. This one had P2.7 billion in a span of five years.)

Buenaventura on Monday confirmed that Cale88 received P319 million from China and Hong Kong.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila, meanwhile, branded the allegations that China has funneled funds to a political faction in the Philippines as a "false narrative," calling them "malicious rhetoric and actions.” —NB, GMA News