Palace: Carpio free to file raps vs AMLC, BSP officials

Malacañang on Monday said it respects the decision of lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, to file criminal complaints against officials of the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinasover the alleged disclosure of bank records during House hearings.

Carpio also filed complaints against several members of the House Committee on Justice for alleged violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Bank Secrecy Law, and the Data Privacy Act.

Palace press officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the move is within Carpio’s rights.

“Karapatan po ninuman na magsampa ng kaso. Ang tanong lamang po, kung ito ay magpo-prosper,” Castro said in a Palace briefing.

“So hindi na po hawak ng Palasyo at ng Pangulo kung ano ang magiging desisyon ng korte. Ang mga korte po natin, ang mga judges natin, pati justices ay matatalino, so alam po nila kung ano ang dapat na gamiting batas at papaano ito madi-dismiss o magkakaroon ng progress,” she added.

Carpio, accompanied by his lawyer Peter Paul Danao, filed the complaints before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Among those named in the complaint were AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr., House justice committee chair Gerville Luistro, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima, and Akbayan Party-list Representatives Percival Cendaña and Chel Diokno.

“Nasa batas naman po ‘yan… na sinasabing bawal maglabas ng kahit anumang impormasyon ang AMLC,” Danao said in a television interview.

He maintained that there are no exceptions under Section 8(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.