MANILA — Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to the family of Vice President Sara Duterte, received inward remittances from China and other countries, according to summaries of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records submitted to the Senate impeachment court.
House lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro confirmed after Thursday’s impeachment proceedings that the AMLC submissions included a summary of foreign remittances received by Cale88.
Luistro, however, declined to disclose the amounts, identities of the senders, dates of the transactions or the other countries involved, citing the impeachment court’s sub judice rule.
She also declined to say whether the transactions were connected to businessman Jaime T. Cruz, saying any such information would have to emerge during the formal presentation of the AMLC evidence.
Cale88 is among the companies whose financial records have been examined in connection with Article II of the impeachment case against Duterte, which covers allegations involving unexplained wealth, asset declarations and business interests. Duterte has denied allegations that she accumulated unexplained wealth.
AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura is expected to testify before the impeachment court on Monday, October 5. His scheduled testimony on Thursday was deferred to give the defense additional time to review the financial records.
The existence of the remittances does not by itself establish wrongdoing, and details about their source, purpose and amounts have yet to be formally presented and examined by the impeachment court.
