Trillanes alleges VP Sara, Duterte family received P181M from alleged drug lord

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday alleged that Vice President Sara Duterte and the immediate members of her family received P181 million from an alleged drug lord.

Trillanes made the statement during the House justice panel impeachment hearing deliberations on whether there is probable cause to impeach the Vice President.

Trillanes identified the alleged drug lord as a certain Samuel or Sammy Uy.

The former senator alleged that of the P181 million supposedly from Uy, P22.3 million allegedly went to the Vice President while P15.65 million supposedly went to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

“These are just manager’s cheques under her name,” Trillanes said. 

The ex-lawmaker also alleged that Sara’s brothers, Davao City Mayor Sebastian and Davao First District Rep. Paolo Duterte, received P51.5 million and P38.3 million, respectively. 

He also claimed that P42.62 million allegedly went to the joint bank account of Honeylet Avanceña, the common-law wife of the former President, and their daughter, Veronica Duterte. Another P10.65 million allegedly went to Avanceña’s bank account, Trillanes said.

GMA News Online has reached out to the offices of the Vice President, Rep. Duterte and Atty. Salvador Panelo for comment on the allegations made during the House hearing.

According to the defense team of Vice President Duterte, they are monitoring today's impeachment proceedings. No official statement has been released.

GMA News has sent a message to the Vice President but has not received a response as of the time this story was initially published.

Subject of suspicion

In the same hearing, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura confirmed that the Vice President is a subject of suspicion in 27 reports submitted by covered persons from August 2024 to January 2026 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking, and related offenses, graft and corrupt practices, and malversation of public funds and property.

The AMLC said the suspicion is in connection with the House Quad Committee hearing on former President Duterte's war on drugs, as well as by news reports alleging the involvement of the Vice President’s husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio,  in the importation of P6.4 billion worth of shabu, the impeachment case filed against the Vice President in 2025, and the alleged misuse of confidential/intelligence funds of agencies that she led.

Further, Remolona noted that based on AMLC records, the Vice President received money in three batches worth P7.4 million in March 2011, October 2011 and April 2012 as stated in Trillanes’ affidavit.

The AMLC official, however, did not confirm if the bank transfers were from Uy, explaining they only monitor bank transactions based on reported transactions of banks, not bank accounts.  —RF, GMA News