Manases Carpio
ANTI-MONEY Laundering Council (AMLC) records showed six check encashments and over-the-counter withdrawals involving Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, totaling P41 million in a single day in 2024, the agency’s executive director testified Monday.
AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura told the Senate impeachment court that all six covered transaction reports involving Carpio were dated Aug. 6, 2024.
“These are of different amounts po: P15 million, P8 million, P5 million, P5 million, P3 million, P5 million, Your Honor,” Buenaventura said.
The six transactions total P41 million.
Buenaventura said the first two transactions, totaling P23 million, were coded as check encashments over the counter, while the remaining four, totaling P18 million, were coded as over-the-counter withdrawals.
“’Yung CENC po, ’yung kanina po na nabanggit na encashment, check encashment over the counter. ’Yung CWDLO, ’yung withdrawals over the counter po,” he said.
Buenaventura confirmed that all six transactions occurred on the same date.
“August 6, lahat po August 6, 2024, Your Honor,” he said.
The AMLC official identified the transactions while private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia questioned him on covered transaction reports involving Carpio under Article II of the impeachment case against Duterte.
Article II accuses the Vice President of amassing unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and failing to fully and truthfully disclose her and her husband’s assets, liabilities and net worth in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
Earlier in his testimony, Buenaventura also identified over-the-counter transactions in December 2024 involving Duterte, including a P2.371-million withdrawal reported by Land Bank of the Philippines on Dec. 5 and a P5.969-million withdrawal reported by BDO Unibank on Dec. 20.
He also identified a P1.7-million check encashment reported by Metrobank on Dec. 20.
The prosecution is presenting the AMLC records as part of its effort to establish Duterte and Carpio’s financial transactions and later compare them with the Vice President’s declared assets and net worth.
The testimony on the P41 million establishes the transactions and their nature as reflected in AMLC records. The prosecution has yet to complete its presentation linking the transactions to Duterte’s SALNs and its allegation of unexplained wealth.
metrosundaily
