Lawyer Manases "Mans" Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, filed a criminal complaint on Monday, April 27, 2026, before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office. The complaint targets Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr., Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, and four members of the House Committee on Justice who are handling the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
Allegations of Illegal Disclosure
The complaint accuses the respondents of violating the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), bank secrecy laws, and the Data Privacy Act. Specifically named are House Committee on Justice Chair and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro, Akbayan representatives Percival Cendaña and Chel Diokno, and Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima. Carpio's camp alleges that the respondents "connived to illegally disclose and divulge classified confidential banking records protected under Republic Act 9160 (the Anti-Money Laundering Act), RA 1405 (the Bank Secrecy Law), and RA 10173 (the Data Privacy Act)."
The complaint stems from revelations made by the AMLC during a House hearing on April 22, 2026. Buenaventura disclosed that bank accounts linked to Vice President Duterte and her husband had been repeatedly flagged for suspicious and covered transactions from 2006 to 2025, with a total value of PHP 6.77 billion. Of this amount, PHP 230.87 million occurred between 2019 and 2024, years when Duterte reportedly did not declare cash or cash deposits in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).
Vice President's Response
In a statement issued on April 23, Vice President Duterte maintained that her SALN declarations were accurate, though she did not provide specific details. She criticized newly installed AMLC officials for "remaining silent" and failing to clarify that no violations of anti-money laundering laws had been established. She also denied claims of holding billions of pesos in bank accounts.
Legal and Constitutional Issues
The case raises a fundamental question: What happens when the State gains access to private financial data and then loses control of it? The Anti-Money Laundering Act explicitly commands confidentiality to protect citizens' financial privacy. However, Representative de Lima argued that the House Committee on Justice did not violate any law during the impeachment hearing. She stated that "cases of impeachment, being sui generis, are not covered by the prohibition under the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Law." She emphasized that financial secrecy cannot be used to conceal unlawful activity, a view echoed by Representative Diokno, who argued that the Bank Secrecy Law should not serve as a shield for public officials.
The AMLC was established to uncover illicit money and support accountability. Confidentiality exists to preserve the integrity of investigations, not to prevent them from ever being disclosed. Congressional inquiries, impeachment proceedings, and judicial processes are constitutionally grounded mechanisms designed to bring sensitive information into the open under specific rules and scrutiny.
BSP and AMLC Response
BSP Governor Remolona said he has yet to receive a copy of the complaint and will respond appropriately in the proper forum. The BSP issued a statement on April 27 emphasizing that "the BSP and the AMLC continue to perform their mandates in accordance with law, guided by independence, professionalism, and due process."
Some quarters have dismissed Carpio's complaint as "political noise" intended to hamper the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Vice President. Nevertheless, the issue underscores the critical difference between lawful disclosure and unauthorized exposure. The former is governed by rules, oversight, and accountability; the latter is an abuse that the law explicitly punishes because of its eroding effect on institutions.
