Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — A number of revelations made during Wednesday’s House hearing on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte were made possible by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). </p><p>The AMLC reported P6.7 billion worth of covered and suspicious transactions involving Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, after the House Committee on Justice issued a subpoena for reports on transactions from 2006 to 2025.</p><p>But how does the AMLC get such information, and how big is its role in the impeachment proceedings against VP Duterte? </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/22/amlc-reports-33-suspicious-bank-transactions-under-sara-duterte-husband-1431"><strong>AMLC flags P6.7-B &#x27;suspicious, covered&#x27; transactions linked to Sara Duterte, husband</strong></a> </div><div><strong>FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT</strong></div><p>The AMLC is the country’s financial intelligence unit meant to implement RA 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001. </p><p>“To be a world-class financial intelligence unit that will help establish and maintain an internationally compliant and effective anti-money laundering regime... Towards this goal, the AMLC shall, without fear or favor, investigate and cause the prosecution of money laundering offenses,” the AMLC’s vision reads. </p><p>AMLC Executive Director Atty. Ronel Buenaventura described money laundering as a process “whereby proceeds from illegal activities are concealed” so they appear as “legitimate activities.” </p><p>“Ang mandato po niya ay panatilihin ang integridad ng financial system natin na dapat malinis ang financial system natin. At isa sa pinakamahalaga kung ‘di man pinakamahalaga sa gawain namin ng AMLC ay ang mag-analyze ng transactions at aksiyunan kung anuman ang makita tungkol dito,&quot; Buenaventura told lawmakers on Wednesday.</p><p>The AMLC’s functions include requiring and receiving covered transaction reports from covered institutions, as well as initiating investigations of covered transactions, money laundering activities, and other violations of this law. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/23/ungab-says-amlc-report-on-sara-duterte-husband-not-an-automatic-proof-of-guilt-1701"><strong>Ungab says AMLC report on Sara Duterte, husband &#x27;not an automatic proof of guilt&#x27; </strong></a></div><p>AMLC&#x27;s Guidelines on Transaction Reporting and Compliance Submissions define covered transactions as the following: </p><p>1. A transaction in cash or other equivalent monetary instrument exceeding Five Hundred Thousand pesos (PHP500,000.00). </p><p>2. A transaction with or involving jewelry dealers, dealers in precious metals and dealers in precious stones in cash or other equivalent monetary instrument exceeding One Million pesos (P1,000,000.00). </p><p>3. A cash transaction with or involving real estate developers or brokers exceeding Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P7,500,000.00) or its equivalent in any other currency. </p><p>4. A casino cash transaction exceeding Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) or its equivalent in any other currency.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/23/duterte-lawyers-say-amlc-numbers-aggregated-don-t-reflect-money-in-accounts-1851"><strong>Duterte lawyers say AMLC numbers &#x27;aggregated&#x27;, don&#x27;t reflect money in accounts</strong></a></div><div><strong>BANK SECRECY?</strong></div><p>Some House lawmakers argued they are not violating the bank secrecy law in the House justice panel’s subpoena for the AMLC. </p><p>“Exception po ‘yung cases of impeachment diyan sa bank secrecy deposit law,” ML party-list Representative Leila de Lima said. </p><p>The AMLC also admitted to certain limitations in imparting information, including the previous use of a system that made it difficult to identify whether what was reported was an inflow or an outflow. </p><p>After this, House Deputy Speaker David Suarez called for a congressional inquiry to strengthen the AMLC.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/2/11/amlc-challenging-to-track-stolen-money-not-stored-in-banks-1925"><strong>AMLC: Challenging to track stolen money not stored in banks </strong></a> </div><p>Aside from Buenaventura, Trillanes&#x27; testimony also caught attention at the hearing, as his previous claims on the Duterte family’s wealth were backed by the findings of the Office of the Ombudsman and AMLC records.</p>

<p>A number of revelations made during Wednesday’s House hearing on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte were made possible by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).</p>

A number of revelations made during Wednesday’s House hearing on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte were made possible by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

PH’s ‘financial intelligence unit’ and its role in impeachment proceedings vs Duterte

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PH’s ‘financial intelligence unit’ and its role in impeachment proceedings vs Duterte

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 23, 2026 08:58 PM PHT

Read More:

AMLC

House of Representatives

Impeachment

Sara Duterte

Vice president

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