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Advocates Philippines
Defensor Shocked By AMLC's P6.77-B Flagged Transactions Linked To VP Sara
Photo credit: Lorenz Defensor
House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor admitted he was caught off guard by the huge amount of transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council in connection with Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
During an interview on “The Spokes” aired on Bilyonaryo News Channel, Defensor said he did not expect the reported transactions to balloon to billions of pesos.
The AMLC earlier revealed before the House Committee on Justice that it had identified hundreds of covered and suspicious transactions amounting to around P6.77 billion allegedly connected to Duterte and Carpio.
Based on the figures discussed during the hearings, around P3.77 billion was reportedly tied to transactions involving the Vice President, while close to P3 billion was linked to her husband.
Defensor said rumors about alleged secret bank accounts involving the Duterte family had circulated before, but he admitted the scale of the amount still surprised him.
The issue gained more attention after lawyer Peter Paul Danao, speaking on behalf of Carpio’s camp, claimed that a supposed P2 billion transaction flagged earlier was actually only P2 million.
According to Danao, Bank of the Philippine Islands explained that the discrepancy may have been caused by a system glitch.
Defensor also backed the decision of government agencies to submit documents during the impeachment proceedings, saying impeachment hearings carry a different level of constitutional authority compared to ordinary congressional investigations.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue also turned over tax-related records involving Duterte, Carpio, and companies connected to them. However, lawmakers later decided not to open a sealed box containing the documents because of confidentiality rules under tax laws.
The sealed records remain under the custody of the House and may eventually be forwarded to the Senate if the impeachment trial pushes through. Senators sitting as an impeachment court would later decide whether the documents can be opened and used as evidence.
The House Justice Committee had earlier found probable cause to impeach Duterte after several weeks of hearings. Lawmakers also approved the committee report and Articles of Impeachment, which are now set for plenary voting on May 11.
During an interview on “The Spokes” aired on Bilyonaryo News Channel, Defensor said he did not expect the reported transactions to balloon to billions of pesos.
The AMLC earlier revealed before the House Committee on Justice that it had identified hundreds of covered and suspicious transactions amounting to around P6.77 billion allegedly connected to Duterte and Carpio.
Based on the figures discussed during the hearings, around P3.77 billion was reportedly tied to transactions involving the Vice President, while close to P3 billion was linked to her husband.
Defensor said rumors about alleged secret bank accounts involving the Duterte family had circulated before, but he admitted the scale of the amount still surprised him.
The issue gained more attention after lawyer Peter Paul Danao, speaking on behalf of Carpio’s camp, claimed that a supposed P2 billion transaction flagged earlier was actually only P2 million.
According to Danao, Bank of the Philippine Islands explained that the discrepancy may have been caused by a system glitch.
Defensor also backed the decision of government agencies to submit documents during the impeachment proceedings, saying impeachment hearings carry a different level of constitutional authority compared to ordinary congressional investigations.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue also turned over tax-related records involving Duterte, Carpio, and companies connected to them. However, lawmakers later decided not to open a sealed box containing the documents because of confidentiality rules under tax laws.
The sealed records remain under the custody of the House and may eventually be forwarded to the Senate if the impeachment trial pushes through. Senators sitting as an impeachment court would later decide whether the documents can be opened and used as evidence.
The House Justice Committee had earlier found probable cause to impeach Duterte after several weeks of hearings. Lawmakers also approved the committee report and Articles of Impeachment, which are now set for plenary voting on May 11.
May 8, 2026
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