Sara’s spouse to pursue legal action vs alleged bank secrecy, data privacy violations
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Lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte is set to file criminal complaints over alleged violations of the bank secrecy laws and the Data Privacy Act, following the public disclosure of financial documents linked to their accounts.
It alleges that officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and House members acted in concern to unlawfully release and disclose confidential banking information, which is protected under Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act (as amended), Republic Act 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law, and Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act.
"AMLA is being weaponized to the max even if illegal and contrary to law, for pure black propaganda with a view to the 2028 national election”, the vice president's husband said.
He is set to file the complaints on Monday against Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, and House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro of Batangas, along with Representatives Percival Cendaña and Chel Diokno of Akbayan Party-list, and Leila de Lima of the Mamamayang Liberal Party-list.
Carpio claims that AMLC and the House Committee on Justice disclosed various private transaction records, including those related to insurance payments, time deposits, investments, and utility bill payments.
Earlier disclosures presented before the House committee on justice showed that bank transactions involving Duterte and Carpio from 2006 to 2025 reached approximately ₱6.7 billion, covering both “covered” and “suspicious” transactions recorded by financial institutions and compiled by the AMLC.
The AMLC said these reports formed part of documents submitted to lawmakers as part of the ongoing impeachment-related hearings, where financial intelligence reports were also presented for legislative scrutiny.
The Bank Secrecy Law generally protects the confidentiality of bank deposits, but legal experts and lawmakers have previously argued that exceptions may apply in cases such as impeachment proceedings and court-authorized disclosures.
In earlier hearings, House members maintained that the documents were obtained under legal exceptions tied to the impeachment process, while Carpio and his legal team have questioned the manner of disclosure, citing possible overreach and violation of privacy safeguards.
"There is no exception. The prohibition is absolute. That is what Congress itself enacted to preserve full security against any disclosure of any information or record obtained by the AMLC,” Carpio said.
He is set to file the complaints on Monday against Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, and House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro of Batangas, along with Representatives Percival Cendaña and Chel Diokno of Akbayan Party-list, and Leila de Lima of the Mamamayang Liberal Party-list.
Carpio has also separately filed petitions before the courts seeking to block the House from accessing tax-related documents, arguing that such subpoenas intrude on constitutionally protected rights to privacy.
