MANILA, Philippines — A major legal confrontation has emerged between the country’s top financial regulators and the Office of the Vice President. On Monday, April 27, 2026, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) issued a staunch defense of their recent testimony before the House of Representatives, asserting they acted “in accordance with law” when they disclosed confidential bank records belonging to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio.
The statement follows a criminal complaint filed by Carpio against BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr., AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, and several prominent House lawmakers.
The controversy stems from an April 22 hearing of the House Committee on Justice, which is currently evaluating impeachment complaints against the Vice President. During the proceedings:
- Flagged Transactions: AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura confirmed the council had tracked 33 suspicious transactions and 630 covered dealings totaling P6.7 billion linked to the bank accounts of the Vice President and her husband between 2006 and 2025.
- Verification: Former Senator Leila de Lima matched specific transactions cited in an affidavit by Antonio Trillanes IV against AMLC’s internal records, which Buenaventura confirmed were present in the council’s database.
At the heart of the dispute is a clash over the interpretation of Philippine banking and privacy laws.
- The Defense: Lawmakers and the AMLC cite Section 3 of the Bank Secrecy Law (RA 1405), which explicitly lists “cases of impeachment” as one of the few exceptions where bank deposits may be disclosed without the depositor’s consent.
- The Accusation: Atty. Carpio’s legal team argues that the Anti-Money Laundering Act (RA 9160) and the Data Privacy Act contain no such broad exceptions for public disclosure during a committee hearing without a specific court order. Carpio’s counsel, Peter Paul Danao, characterized the disclosure as “illegal and felonious.”
Atty. Carpio has vociferously denied the financial figures presented in Congress.
- Denial of P6.7-B: Carpio’s lawyer stated that his client “vehemently denies having P6 billion worth of transactions” and noted they have never been provided with the actual AMLC reports to verify the claims.
- “Simple Person” Defense: Danao emphasized that Carpio is a private citizen and not a politician, arguing that his privacy was violated by lawmakers who “signed the subpoena for these bank records and tax returns.”
- The Admission Argument: Leila de Lima countered that by questioning the disclosure of the transactions rather than their existence, the Carpio camp is effectively admitting that the transactions took place.
The BSP has stated that Governor Remolona will respond to the complaint once he officially receives a copy, likely through the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. Meanwhile, the House Committee on Justice is scheduled to hold its final hearing on April 29, 2026. This upcoming session is expected to tackle separate allegations regarding death threats allegedly made by the Vice President against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.