MANILA, Philippines — Records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) showed that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company linked to Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, received more than P319 million in remittances from China and Hong Kong.
AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura disclosed the transactions while testifying before the Senate impeachment court on Monday, October 5.
According to Buenaventura, AMLC’s tabular summary showed that Cale88 received an aggregate amount of P319,326,770.41 in inward remittances.
The disclosure came days after former senator Antonio Trillanes IV publicly alleged that the company received more than P319 million from Chinese sources.
Financial records presented during the proceedings showed that around P315.9 million of the total remittances came from mainland China, involving 141 covered transaction reports and three suspicious transaction reports. Another P3.39 million reportedly came from Hong Kong and was covered by two suspicious transaction reports.
Among the transactions cited during the hearing were multimillion-peso transfers coursed through Philippine banks.
The AMLC testimony appeared to corroborate the amount earlier cited by Trillanes. However, the confirmation that the transactions occurred does not, on its own, establish Trillanes’ broader allegation that the money represented financial support from the Chinese government.
Trillanes earlier raised concerns about the transactions and argued that financial ties involving companies linked to high-ranking government officials and foreign entities should be scrutinized for possible national security implications.
Cale88 Foods Corporation has been linked to Carpio through corporate records. Previous testimony from Securities and Exchange Commission officials during the impeachment proceedings identified Carpio as an incorporator, director and shareholder of the company from 2021 to 2024.
Carpio reportedly held a 47.5-percent stake in the company in 2024 before his name no longer appeared as a shareholder in records for the following year.
Vice President Duterte has previously denied allegations concerning unexplained wealth and has criticized Trillanes over accusations involving her and her family.
The AMLC findings form part of evidence being presented in the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Vice President, where prosecutors have sought to examine financial transactions involving Duterte and entities linked to members of her family.
The proceedings remain ongoing, and the existence of covered or suspicious transaction reports does not by itself constitute proof that a crime was committed.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, with additional information from AMLC testimony and reports by GMA News and The Philippine Star.
