MANILA — Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday questioned Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Atty. Ronel Buenaventura on whether transactions involving foreign state-owned enterprises and companies linked to Vice President Sara Duterte could raise a conflict-of-interest issue.
During the 34th day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, Tulfo asked Buenaventura for his legal view on transactions involving companies associated with the Vice President or her husband and foreign state-owned entities.
“Bilang abogado, may conflict of interest ka bang nakikita na ang VP, kumpanya ni VP, o corporations nakikipag-transaksyon sa foreign state-owned company like China? Bilang abogado, Sir. Do you see any conflict of interest here?” Tulfo asked.
Buenaventura declined to give an opinion.
“’Di ko po masagot, Your Honor. Hindi ko po masagot on that one, Your Honor. Pasensya na po,” he replied.
Tulfo then acknowledged the witness’ caution, telling him, “I understand you wanna play safe.”
The exchange came as senator-judges continued questioning Buenaventura over financial records presented before the impeachment court. AMLC records cited in the proceedings showed that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company linked to Duterte’s husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, received about P319 million in inward remittances from mainland China and Hong Kong.
Buenaventura had also testified that the AMLC recorded around P4.4 billion in covered and suspicious transactions involving Duterte and Carpio. AMLC officials have stressed that covered or suspicious transaction reports do not by themselves establish that a transaction is illegal or constitutes unexplained wealth.
