BIR issues LOA to Cale88, company linked to Sara Duterte’s husband

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Friday said it had already issued a Letter of Authority (LOA) to Cale88 Food Corporation, the company linked to Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, Manases Carpio.

BIR chief of staff Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez revealed this during the 37th day of Duterte’s impeachment trial after Senate president and Senator-Judge Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian asked if Cale88 had already been issued an LOA.

READ: VP Trial Day 37: BIR exec to finish testifying before Senate impeach court

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“In fact, meron na pong LOA (there is already an LOA),” Marquez said.

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An LOA refers to the official written directive from the BIR empowering revenue officers to examine a taxpayer’s, in this case Cale88’s, books of accounts and accounting records for a defined taxable period.

“So iniimbestigathan na itong company na ito (so this company is already being investigated)?” Gatchalian asked.

“Yes, your honor,” Marquez responded.

To note, it was revealed during the trial that the total sales of Cale88 from 2021 to 2025 was P208,493,5465, but had remittances of around P700 million.

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This P700 million is allegedly composed of over P319 million worth of inward transactions from companies based in China—which Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros said had links to state-owned corporations and the Chinese Communist Party, and other other foreign-based companies.

READ: Duterte’s issues beyond SALN, now a national security concern

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According to Hontiveros, one of these companies was based in Ukraine and is also possibly involved in money laundering.

Marquez said these inward transactions should have been declared in Cale88’s audited financial statements.

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The Senate impeachment court is currently tackling Article II of the articles of impeachment against Duterte, which accuses her of having unexplained wealth and failing to disclose these assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALNs. /jpv