SENATOR-JUDGE Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday flagged links between Chinese state-owned enterprises and companies that sent money to Cale88 Foods Corp., which received P319.33 million in remittances from China and Hong Kong, and asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) whether it was looking into the connections.
Cale88 is linked to lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, who is facing allegations of unexplained wealth and undisclosed financial and business interests under Article II of her impeachment case.
During Duterte’s impeachment trial, Hontiveros said research by her office showed that some companies behind the remittances to Cale88 were Chinese state-owned enterprises.
“Kaya ko po ito tinanong dahil tinignan ng opisina ko ’yung mga ito, ’yung mga binanggit na mga kumpanya kahapon, at lumabas na ilan sa nagpadala ng pera sa Cale88 ay mga Chinese state-owned enterprises,” Hontiveros said.
Among those she cited was China National Township Enterprises, which was identified in AMLC records presented Monday as among the remitters to Cale88.
Hontiveros said her office’s research showed the company had been directly under China’s Ministry of Agriculture and later became a large state-owned agricultural enterprise.
She also cited Beijing Jianweifang Food Company and its links to Xinjiang Fruit Industry Group, which she described as a Chinese state-owned enterprise with a Chinese Communist Party organization embedded in its corporate governance structure.
“So ang tanong ko po, Atty. Buenaventura, ’yung mga ganitong linkages ba ay tinitignan ng AMLC?” Hontiveros asked AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura.
Buenaventura said he could not answer because the scope of the subpoena issued to AMLC covered records presented before the impeachment court.
“At this point po, ’yung na-cover po ng subpoena is only on the records. Apologies po, hindi po ako makatulong sa sagot sa tanong po ninyo, but I am unable to answer that po at this point, Your Honor,” Buenaventura said.
Asked whether the transactions and the links cited by Hontiveros were a cause for concern, Buenaventura said he would have to review the information raised by the senator-judge.
“I have to review po ’yung binanggit ninyo po. Hindi ko po nakuha lahat po, Your Honor. But we take note naman po ’yung nabanggit po ninyo,” he said.
Hontiveros earlier asked whether AMLC was already investigating the Chinese companies that transacted with Cale88, but Buenaventura likewise said he was unable to answer.
AMLC records presented Monday showed that Cale88 received P319,326,770.41 in inward remittances from China and Hong Kong. Of the amount, about P315.94 million came from mainland China and P3.39 million from Hong Kong.
Buenaventura also testified that three Cale88 transactions were reported as suspicious because there was no underlying legal or trade obligation, purpose or economic justification.
metrosundaily
