Carpio lawyer says AMLC 'illegally disclosed' bank data; cites absolute secrecy under AMLA

A lawyer for the Vice President's husband, Manases “Mans” Carpio on Monday accused officials of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and members of the House justice committee of violating the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) by allegedly disclosing confidential bank information in connection with the ongoing impeachment proceedings.

In an ambush interview, Carpio’s counsel, Atty. Peter Paul Danao argued that Section 8(A) of Republic Act No. 9160, as amended by RA 11521, imposes an absolute prohibition on AMLC’s disclosure of any banking information it obtains—regardless of context.

“Ang sinasabi sa batas ay bawal isiwalat ng AMLC kahit anong impormasyon na nalakap nila sa mga bangko… the AMLAC and its secretariat shall not in any way disclose any information in any manner,” the lawyer said, emphasizing the phrase “in any manner” as proof that Congress intended no exceptions.

“Ang sinampa namin kaso, tama ba na ginawa ng AMLC na magpalabas daw ng mga transaction reports? Ngayon, kung sinasabing totoo o hindi, hindi po dito sa piskal na dapat nasagutin iyon. Siguro baka dapat sa impeachment court,” he added.

The complaint filed by Carpio names Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Eli Remolona Jr., AMLC executive director Ronel Buenaventura, and several lawmakers in the House committee handling the impeachment proceedings.

Carpio was dragged into the impeachment proceedings despite having no role in the case, his counsel said. They questioned why his personal financial records—spanning nearly two decades—were included.

“Kaya kami nagtataka, bakit pilit na kami sinasama sa impeachment proceeding?” the lawyer said, adding that Carpio’s bank transactions from 2006 to 2025 were suddenly exposed. “Kung kayo na simpleng tao lang, bigla na lang lumabas ang kaluluwa ninyo since birth, hindi ba kayo aalma?”

Danao insisted that if lawmakers wanted exceptions to the AMLA secrecy rule, Congress should have written them into the law. 

Under RA 9160, AMLC may access and examine bank accounts linked to suspected money laundering, but Section 8(A) restricts the Council and its secretariat from disclosing information to unauthorized parties. 

The law allows sharing with certain agencies for specific investigations, but public or political disclosure remains disputed.

The controversy comes as the House of Representatives pursues impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Alleged bank transactions, deposits, investments, insurance payments and utility bill records allegedly linked to the couple were publicly cited during committee hearings, sparking concerns from legal groups about due process and the misuse of financial records.

“Kung ano ang sinasabi sa batas, dapat sundin natin. Kung nilabag mo… kasuhan. Ito na po iyon,” the lawyer said.