THE P6.7 billion in bank transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in connection with Vice President Sara Z. Duterte may represent only a fraction of the total funds that moved through her and her husband’s accounts, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union said Sunday, noting that smaller transactions not captured by the agency could significantly expand the overall figure.
Ortega, one of the endorsers of the 4th impeachment complaint, said the AMLC figure—covering only “covered” and “suspicious” transactions—does not include a potentially significant volume of smaller deposits and transfers that fall outside mandatory reporting rules.
“Kung nagugulat tayo sa P6.7 billion, we should understand this is not the full amount—ito ‘yung nakita lang ng AMLC under its limited scope. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Ortega said.
Ortega explained that banks are required to report only transactions of at least P500,000 in a single day, as well as those deemed suspicious, leaving a wide range of financial activity unmonitored.
“Anything below that threshold is not automatically reported. Pero kung paulit-ulit ang maliliit na galaw ng pera, those can accumulate into very large amounts na hindi agad makikita sa AMLC data,” Ortega added.
During the April 22 hearing of the House Committee on Justice, the AMLC confirmed that Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio was linked to 663 transactions—630 covered and 33 suspicious—amounting to P6.77 billion.
Of the total, P4.42 billion were inflows, P1.55 billion were outflows, and P791.1 million were classified as undetermined.
Ortega stressed that the figure should not be treated as a complete accounting of funds but as a partial snapshot that already raises serious questions.
“This is not a definitive total. It only reflects what the system is designed to capture. At kung ganito na kalaki ang lumalabas sa limited reporting, it is reasonable to ask how much more is outside that net,” Ortega said.
The House leader pushed back against claims from Duterte’s camp that the AMLC data is overstated, saying such arguments overlook the purpose of the inquiry.
“The issue here is not whether the number is bloated or not. Ang tanong: bakit may ganitong volume ng transactions, at tugma ba ito sa idineklara sa SALN? That is what needs to be explained,” Ortega said.
Data presented during the same hearing by the Office of the Ombudsman showed Duterte’s declared net worth rising from P7.25 million in 2007 to P88.51 million in 2024.
Ortega noted the apparent gap between those declarations and the scale of transactions reflected in AMLC records.
“Kung ang declared net worth ay nasa tens of millions, pero ang galaw ng pera nasa billions, may disconnect na kailangang ipaliwanag. And again, we are only seeing a portion of the total money flow,” Ortega said.
The House Committee on Justice has already found probable cause to impeach the vice president based on the evidence presented, including allegations of unexplained wealth, and is set to transmit its findings to the plenary and, if approved, to the Senate for trial.
