Philippine lawmakers examine gap in Sara Duterte’s bank statements, declared wealth

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio is facing mounting pressure as lawmakers examine evidence that could lead to her impeachment, centered on a massive discrepancy between her declared wealth and actual bank transactions. The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) presented data showing that from 2006 to 2024, Duterte-Carpio and her husband, Mans Carpio, had bank records showing 4.4 billion pesos ($73.2 million) in inflows and 1.5 billion pesos in outflows. This stands in stark contrast to their declared net worth of just 88 million pesos ($1.5 million) as of 2024, as filed in their mandatory Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

During the House hearing, AMLC executive director Ronel Buenaventura described these as "suspicious transactions" involving large sums moving through the couple's accounts, with 2.9 billion pesos remaining after the recorded flows. The proceedings took a more serious turn with separate allegations from former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who claimed members of the Duterte family received money from Sammy Uy—an individual the AMLC described as a "covered person" due to transactions flagged for links to illicit drug operations. Trillanes read an affidavit accusing Duterte-Carpio of "betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and other high crimes," setting the stage for potential impeachment proceedings that could significantly impact Philippine politics.