AMLC exec stumped by gap in Sara Duterte SALN vs bank records

MANILA, Philippines — Anti-Monet Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura admitted on Tuesday that he could not explain the gap between Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared net worth and reported financial transactions involving her and husband Manases Carpio.

Raising the “absurd possibility” of adding Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) from 2022 to 2025, Presiding Officer and Sen. Francis Escudero came up with a total of P336 million.

This figure, however, was still short of the P424 million that reportedly went in and out of the couple’s bank accounts during  the same period, Escudero said, citing AMLC records submitted to  the Senate impeachment court.

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READ: Impeach court opens VP’s P4-4-B transaction docs

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“Hindi pa rin umabot ng P424 (million). Meaning to say, on the assumption na walang ginastos, walang ginastos mula sa lahat ng assets nila at lahat na dineposito sa banko, hindi pa rin naabot sa ganito kalaking halaga,” Escudero pointed out, while asking questions to AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura.

(It still did not reach P424 million. Meaning to say, assuming that nothing was spent from all of their assets and everything was deposited in the bank, it still would not reach this amount.)

Buenaventura was presented by the prosecution in relation to allegations that Duterte had amasses unexplained wealth and failed to declare all her assets in her SALNs.

READ: Ridon: Sara Duterte’s focus on my past consultancy shows ‘nervousness’

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“Sa palagay at pananaw nyo, ulitin ko, in the realm of possibilities, what would explain this huge amount? Posible ba yung in and out?” he asked the witness.

(“In your opinion—and I’ll ask again, in the realm of possibilities—what would explain this huge amount? Is it possible that it was simply money going in and out?)

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Noticing that Buenaventura was struggling to respond to his question,  Escudero surmised that that the witness could not explain the gap. 

The witness agreed, saying: “Hindi ko po maipaliwanag.” 

(I cannot explain it.)

Escudero further pressed the witness to explain how the couple’s transactions could have amounted to P424 million when the vice president’s monthly salary was only P350,000.

“Apologies po your your honor, I cannot explain,”  Buenaventura answered.

Escudero raised the same questions on the reported P4.4 billion combined transactions of the couple from 2007 to 2025. 

“Again, I bring it to its absurd point. We tried to add to all of the amounts in the combined Salns for those covered period of 2007 to 2025, it totaled only P840 million,” he said.

“In the realm of possibilities again, can you explain how it could reach that amount knowing that the highest salary in 2025 was at P98 million and the lowest salary in 2007 was at P7 million?  Can you explain it, Sir?”

Buenaventura said he would not be able to explain or answer  the question as he just relying on their  records.

When Escudero asked again if he could think of any possible explanation, the witness said, “Medyo nahihirapan din po ako.”

(“I’m also having some difficulty explaining it.)

“So hindi nyo rin po kayang paliwanan kung bakit umabot ng ganito P4.4 billion yung amount? Based on the data I relayed to you on the Saln?” the presiding officer asked further.

“So you also cannot explain why the amount reached P4.4 billion, based on the data I relayed to you regarding the SALNs?)

“Hindi ko po masagot po, Your Honor,” the  AMLC official said.

(“I cannot answer that, Your Honor.) /mr

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NOTE: The English translations in the article were AI-generate