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MANILA, Philippines — Two 2019 transactions involving Vice President Sara Duterte were flagged in reports on suspicious transactions that refer to the flood control controversy, the Anti-Money Laundering Council told the Senate impeachment court Monday.
AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura read two such reports dated July 4 and Nov. 15, 2019 involving premium payments to a certain Mercantile Insurance Company Inc.
The institution that filed the reports cited "graft and corrupt practices" as the reason for flagging the transactions, Buenaventura said.
Cited in the reports are news outlets bearing a list of individuals and corporations allegedly involved in the Department of Public Works and Highways flood control issue. Such mentions prompted the filing of a suspicious transaction report.
The reports were among 34 suspicious transaction reports, or STRs, involving Duterte in AMLC records from 2007 to 2025. Buenaventura said another 30 involved her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
STRs are filed with the AMLC by banks, insurers and other covered institutions when transactions meet the threshold for suspicion. An STR itself does not constitute direct evidence of wrongdoing.
The defense questioned the relevance of the 2019 transactions to determining Duterte's wealth, while the prosecution said it was presenting the reports to establish a pattern. Impeachment trial presiding officer Chiz Escudero allowed the questioning to continue. — Martin Ramos
