Bank reporting of suspicious transaction to AMLC based on merit, not gossip —witness

A bank official presented as witness by the prosecution in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte affirmed Wednesday that suspicious transaction reports undergo an extensive verification process before being filed to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Atty. Niña Aguilar, head of Anti-Money Laundering Division of the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank), said this when asked by Senator-Judge Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan regarding the guidelines for suspicious transaction reporting.

“So, apart from negative media reports, you would look at these particular guidelines and say na itong deposit na ito, malaking halaga (that this deposit is a large amount) and it appears na walang (that it has no) underlying legal or trade or economic justification?” Pangilinan asked.

Aguilar said that it is one of the factors considered.

“So, binubusisi niyo nang husto, dahil you are careful, na hindi rin tama na mag-file ng suspicious transaction report kung mali or walang basis or dahil news report lang,” Pangilinan said.

(So, you scrutinize matters thoroughly because you are careful, because it isn't right to file a suspicious transaction report if it is incorrect, lacks a basis, or is merely based on news reports.)

“Maingat ang bangko bago ito mag-file suspicious transaction report. Binubusisi ninyo nang husto. Hindi base sa chismis,” he added.

(Banks are cautious before filing a suspicious transaction report. You examine everything thoroughly. It isn't based on hearsay.)

Aguilar answered in the affirmative.

Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros also asked the witness if banks would immediately report suspicious transaction reports of their clients to AMLC if the information would come from controversial news reports, or if banks would still consider the circumstances of the transactions.

Aguilar said that banks usually file suspicious transaction reports to AMLC if their clients are found to be the subject of the negative media and after such transactions are examined.

“For suspicious transaction reporting based on negative media, we generally file a suspicious transaction report if we have identified our customer to be the subject of the negative media and conduct further review on the transactions. And if it is warranted, we would file additional suspicious transaction reports after the review of the transactions, Your Honor,” the Metrobank official explained.

To recall, AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura said Monday that at least P4.4 billion worth of covered and suspicious transactions were recorded under the bank accounts of the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio.

Of the amount, he said that P1.63 billion accounted for inflows, while P1.3 billion was for outflows. The AMLC official also said there are P1.4 billion worth of covered and suspicious transactions with undetermined inflows and outflows.

Buenaventura likewise said that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company linked to Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, had aggregate covered and suspicious transactions amounting to P1.25 billion from 2022 to 2025.

Duterte’s camp, on the other hand, questioned the supposed contradictory covered and suspicious bank transactions discussed in the impeachment trial compared to what was discussed during the earlier probe by the House Committee on Justice. —VAL, GMA News