The prosecution on Monday presented bank transaction records involving Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio, as part of its case alleging unexplained wealth in the impeachment trial before the Senate.
During the direct examination of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, the prosecution pointed to 40 dollar-denominated accounts reportedly linked to Duterte and Carpio.
The prosecution also presented several time-deposit transactions involving Duterte’s account at the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) Wilson branch.
Among the transactions presented were a ₱1.945-million debit and a ₱1.981-million credit on December 26, 2018.
Buenaventura earlier testified that the two transactions represented a time-deposit placement and the termination of a time deposit, respectively, with the proceeds returned to the account.
The prosecution also presented a ₱1.981-million time-deposit debit and a corresponding ₱1.981-million credit dated December 26, 2019.
For 2020, the records showed a ₱2.005-million time-deposit debit and a credit for the same amount on December 28.
The prosecution alleged that the funds were not declared in Duterte’s 2019 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Two other PSBank transactions amounting to ₱2,005,340.22 each were recorded on December 28, 2020, while two transactions amounting to ₱2,020,879.39 each were recorded on September 22, 2022.
Defense counsel Atty. Mark Vinluan objected to the prosecution’s presentation, arguing that the prosecution should not be supplying testimony through its questioning and presentation of the records.
The Senate impeachment court, however, continued with the presentation of the AMLC records.
Buenaventura earlier testified that AMLC records contain hundreds of covered transaction reports (CTRs) involving Duterte and Carpio. The prosecution has been presenting the reports to establish the movement of funds linked to the couple.
One of the transactions previously highlighted was an over-the-counter cash withdrawal of ₱9,109,644.80 on April 8, 2013, at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) J. Vargas branch, involving an account identified with then-President Rodrigo Duterte and Sara Duterte.
Buenaventura also testified that six transactions involving Carpio in two accounts at BDO Unibank Inc. and Philippine National Bank totaled about ₱41 million in withdrawals on August 6, 2024.
The defense earlier objected to the presentation of Carpio’s transactions, pointing out that he is not the impeachable officer and that some of the transactions date back to 2014.
Presiding Officer Francis 'Chiz' Escudero overruled the objection, noting that Duterte and Carpio are married and that their property relations are relevant to the Vice President’s SALN.
Under the Family Code, the regime of absolute community of property generally covers property owned by the spouses at the time of marriage and property acquired thereafter, subject to exceptions and any valid marriage settlement.
The prosecution has also presented AMLC records involving suspicious transaction reports (STRs). Buenaventura said there were 34 STRs involving Duterte and cited two reports from 2019 in which the stated reason for filing was alleged graft and corrupt practices.
The AMLC executive director also testified that the records include transactions involving Duterte and Carpio worth billions of pesos when aggregated over the covered period.
The prosecution's presentation forms part of its evidence under Article II of the impeachment complaint, which concerns the alleged unexplained wealth of the Vice President.
