HOUSE Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur on Saturday said the Senate impeachment trial would give the camp of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte full opportunity to explain the alleged P2-billion bank discrepancy tied to the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) reported P6.77-billion flagged transactions.
Alonto Adiong said the impeachment court is the proper venue to scrutinize claims that a supposed P2-billion inflow was merely a Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) systems error.
“If there is indeed a valid explanation regarding the alleged P2-billion discrepancy, then the proper forum to fully clarify and defend that claim is the Senate impeachment trial,” Alonto Adiong said.
“The Filipino people deserve clear answers, especially since these transactions involve enormous sums and were flagged by the AMLC itself,” he added.
The lawmaker issued the statement after lawyers for the Vice President’s husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio, claimed that a supposed P2-billion bank inflow reflected in AMLC-related documents was actually only P2 million and allegedly stemmed from a BPI systems error.
During the House hearings, the AMLC reported 630 covered transactions and 33 suspicious transactions totaling P6.771 billion involving accounts linked to Duterte and Carpio.
Records presented before the House Committee on Justice showed that Duterte allegedly accounted for around P3.77 billion in transactions, while Carpio allegedly accounted for nearly P3 billion.
Alonto Adiong said the alleged systems error does not erase the broader issues raised during the hearings.
“One disputed entry does not automatically negate the other matters and transaction patterns examined by the committee. That is precisely why a trial is necessary,” he said.
The House Committee on Justice earlier voted 53-0 to find probable cause to impeach Duterte before unanimously adopting the committee report and Articles of Impeachment in a 55-0 vote for transmittal to the plenary.
Among the issues cited in the consolidated impeachment complaints were the alleged misuse of confidential funds, alleged unexplained wealth, AMLC-flagged transactions, and Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
The House plenary is expected to vote on the Articles of Impeachment on May 11, with at least one-third of all House members needed to transmit the case to the Senate for trial.
House leaders earlier expressed confidence that around 215 lawmakers are expected to vote in favor of the impeachment complaint, far exceeding the constitutional threshold required to elevate the case to the Senate impeachment court.
Should the impeachment case reach the Senate, Alonto Adiong said Duterte’s camp would have full opportunity to challenge the evidence and present their defense.
“That is the essence of due process. Both sides will have the opportunity to lay down their evidence before the Filipino people,” Alonto Adiong said.
