Money laundering concerns surface in Sara Duterte impeachment trial

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 12, 2026

Photo courtesy: Multiple Sources

MANILA, Philippines — A forensic financial analyst testifying in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial has raised questions over the rapid movement of money through Cale88 Foods Corp., a company previously linked to her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio.

During questioning by senator-judges on Monday, October 12, prosecution witness Atty. Alexander Cabrera described Cale88’s accounts as resembling a “revolving door,” with sizable amounts entering and leaving within the same day or shortly afterward. 

He said that pattern can be considered a symptom or warning sign of money laundering, but stressed that he was not concluding that money laundering had actually taken place. 

Cabrera also pointed to what he considered unusual features in the company’s financial statements. 

Despite reporting substantial business activity as a banana-chip exporter, Cale88 had no recorded raw-material or work-in-process inventory, as well as no accounts receivable or payable. He said the company continued to post losses even as large amounts moved through its accounts. 

The company has been under scrutiny in the impeachment proceedings after Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified that Cale88 received about P319.33 million in aggregate remittances from mainland China and Hong Kong. AMLC records also showed about P1.25 billion in aggregate covered and suspicious transactions involving Cale88 from 2022 to 2025. 

Those funds went to Cale88’s corporate accounts rather than directly into the personal accounts of Duterte or Carpio. Corporate records presented during the proceedings showed Carpio was an incorporator, director and shareholder of Cale88 from 2021 to 2024, holding a 47.5-percent stake before his name disappeared from the company’s General Information Sheet in 2025. 

Cabrera’s testimony came as senator-judges examined whether Cale88’s reported business operations matched the scale of money moving through the company. Earlier proceedings showed that Cale88 reported P150.76 million in sales in 2024, while company records reflected no employees that year and only two in 2025. 

The Bureau of Internal Revenue has issued a Letter of Authority authorizing an examination of Cale88’s tax records after questions were raised over possible undeclared sales and tax deficiencies. BIR officials have said any civil or criminal liability would depend on what the audit ultimately establishes.

The remittances have also prompted calls for a separate national-security review. Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, the House prosecution team’s lead prosecutor, has urged an investigation into the foreign financial flows, while the National Security Council previously said relevant agencies would assess whether any national-security implications exist. 

The defense, meanwhile, has challenged Cabrera’s methodology and the basis of his conclusions. During Monday’s cross-examination, Cabrera acknowledged that he did not rely on documents supplied directly by Duterte or Carpio in preparing his report. Duterte has separately accused the prosecution of fabricating evidence, an allegation the prosecution disputes. 

The money-laundering reference remains an expert’s characterization of transaction patterns, not a finding that Cale88 committed the offense. The Senate impeachment trial is set to continue on Tuesday, October 13.