MANILA – Malacañang said concerned government agencies should look into allegations involving P150 million in funding from China to an organization associated with Vice President Sara Duterte, provided there is sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Security Council (NSC) and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) should examine the matter and determine the circumstances surrounding the funds.
The issue resurfaced after former senator Antonio Trillanes IV cited a P150-million donation from the Chinese government to the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines, an organization associated with Duterte.
Public reports from 2018 show that the money was intended for the construction of 13 school buildings in Davao City, with Tapang at Malasakit serving as a conduit between the Chinese government and the Department of Education. The transaction was publicly announced at the time.
Malacañang earlier said allegations involving China-linked funding should not be ignored if backed by sufficient evidence, while Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro urged Trillanes to submit his evidence to law enforcement authorities for proper investigation.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila, meanwhile, rejected the broader allegation that China had funneled money to a Philippine political faction, calling the claim a “false narrative.”
The Vice President’s camp has also denied that China was funding Duterte and said she was prepared to face any investigation into the allegations.
No finding has established that the P150-million school-building donation constituted political financing.
