House impeach proceedings don’t violate bank secrecy law – de Lima

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima on Sunday maintained that the House justice committee’s impeachment proceedings – which discussed the “suspicious and covered” financial transactions of Vice President Sara Duterte – do not violate the country’s bank secrecy law or any law for that matter.

De Lima made the remarks after Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, said he will file a criminal complaint on Monday against officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and members of the House Committee on Justice for alleged violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), bank secrecy laws, and the Data Privacy Act.

In a statement, Carpio’s lawyers said BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr., AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, and House justice committee members Reps. Gerville Luistro, Percival Cendaña, Chel Diokno, and De Lima allegedly disclosed confidential banking records.

De Lima said filing a case is within Carpio’s rights and that she will wait for an official copy of the complaint to “study it thoroughly and discuss it” with her lawyers.

“But, as far as the House Committee on Justice is concerned, the proceedings cannot be considered violative of any law. Cases of impeachment, being sui generis, are not covered by the prohibition under the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Law,” said De Lima, a former Justice Secretary and senator.

She explained that the House justice panel is conducting hearings to determine probable cause on the validly-initiated impeachment complaints against Duterte.

She pointed out that the committee subpoenaed the AMLC’s records of Duterte’s allegedly suspicious and covered transactions and not the bank accounts.

De Lima noted that under Republic Act 9160 or the “Anti-Money Laundering Act,” covered institutions such as banks are required to report suspicious transactions to the AMLC and that “such reporting is expressly declared as not violative of the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Law” or RA 1405.

“Also, the prohibition on disclosure applies only to officers and employees of banks and banking institutions,” she said.

“The fact that evidence of ill-gotten wealth was exposed in the course of the impeachment proceedings does not make such exposure criminal. It is a direct consequence of impeachment as an accountability mechanism,” De Lima added.

In a hearing last week, the AMLC confirmed before the House justice committee that at least 18 bank transactions linked to the Vice President and her family members, as cited in the affidavit of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, match records of covered and suspicious transaction reports.

The body also reported that Duterte was the subject of 27 suspicious transaction reports submitted by covered institutions from August 2024 to January 2026, which were linked to suspected activities involving drug trafficking, graft and corruption, and malversation of public funds and property.

In addition, P6.7 billion in “covered and suspicious transactions” were recorded under the names of Duterte and her husband from 2006 to 2025.

April 29 hearing

For his part, House human rights chair and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. called on the Vice President to personally face the House justice committee on April 29, Wednesday if she has nothing to hide.

Abante is a co-endorser of one of the two impeachment complaints against Duterte.

“Sa akin naman, sinabi ko, it is better for the Vice President to attend, take an oath and answer all the allegations, instead of going to the media. Sapagka’t sa amin naman, kung wala ka namang itinatago, bakit ka matatakot mag-appear, ‘di ba?” he said in a statement.

(For me, I said it is better for the Vice President to attend, take an oath and answer all the allegations, instead of going to the media. Because for us, if you have nothing to hide, why would you be afraid to appear?)

He added that the hearing on April 29 might be Duterte’s last chance to appear before the House justice committee as it deliberates on the probable cause of the impeachment complaints.

Abante assured that she will be given the full opportunity to explain her side and will be accorded due process should she decide to attend the hearing.

Meanwhile, House public accounts chair and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon believed that probable cause has been clearly established against Duterte, particularly on grounds of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

In a separate statement, he said the panel requires only a majority vote, or 21 out of 39 members, to recommend impeachment. If probable cause is established, the committee will draft the articles of impeachment for transmittal to the plenary.

From there, at least one-third of House members must vote in favor for the case to be transmitted to the Senate for trial.

“Sa Miyerkules, inaasahan natin ang botohan sa probable cause. Kapag positibo, aakyat na ito sa plenaryo, at inaasahan natin sa Mayo ang desisyon kung maipapadala ito sa Senado,” Ridon said.

(On Wednesday, we expect a vote on probable cause. If it’s positive, it will be brought to the plenary, and in May we will expect the decision if this will be transmitted to the Senate.) — JMA, GMA News