Ukraine-based firm suspected of fraud, money laundering 'remits' money to Cale88: Hontiveros

A Ukrainian company linked to criminal proceedings for fraud and money laundering remitted funds to Cale88 Food Corp., a firm partly owned by Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, Mans Carpio, Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros bared Friday, citing findings from her office.

The foreign remitter was identified as Arkmen LLC, with the address Zoriana 30A, Tsybuliv, Ukraine, reportedly based on its registration number 41423974.

A review of Cale88’s foreign transactions, conducted by Hontiveros’ office, allegedly found that the address of the Ukrainian-based firm was originally Haharina Street 30 before the street name was changed to Zoriana 30A.

“Basically, however, it is the same address. And this registration number (41423974) and the Zoriana 30A address correspond to a company involved in criminal proceedings initiated on May 19, 2025, concerning fraud and money laundering involving 1.225 million euros,” Hontiveros said in Filipino.

Cale88 is a banana chip maker and exporter incorporated in 2021. Carpio served as an incorporator, director, and shareholder of the corporation from 2021 to 2024 and held a 47.5 percent ownership stake.

In 2025, however, Carpio’s name was no longer listed in the company’s general information sheet (GIS), although Duterte still disclosed Cale88 as one of her business interests in her 2025 SALN.

A certain Pikimong Philippines Corp. replaced Carpio, but there was no record of an electronic certificate authorizing registration (eCAR) showing the valid transfer of Carpio’s interest to Pikimong, the prosecution pointed out. The transfer of taxes was also allegedly not settled.

Cale88 still Carpio’s?

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner chief of staff Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez said that although the law on contracts may still apply to the transaction in question, the non-payment of transfer taxes effectively leaves Cale88 still under the previous owner’s name.

“Ang sabi po doon, pagka hindi nakapagbayad ng taxes, dapat hindi ito i-register...yung transfer sa stock transfer books

“It states there that if taxes are not paid, the transfer, specifically the entry in the stock transfer books, should not be registered,” Marquez said in Filipino. “In that case, it might not have been transferred yet [and] it’s likely still under the old name.”

According to Hontiveros, Cale88 last received a remittance from Arkmen on 30 May 2025, after the alleged criminal case was opened.

In March of this year, a Kyiv court ordered a search of Arkmen's premises, and in April, Hontiveros claimed, the court froze 100 percent of its shareholding.

Records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) that were previously subpoenaed by the Senate impeachment court showed that Cale88 also received inward remittances totaling P319.32 million from China and Hong Kong, with the former accounting for the lion’s share at P315.935 million.

Discrepancies flagged

A previous review by Hontiveros’ office also allegedly found that some of the Chinese companies that remitted money to Cale88 are linked to the Chinese state-owned enterprise system, which “advances the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.”

Marquez said if the remittances from the Ukraine-based firm are sales, “then it should have been reported in [Cale88’s] annual income tax return.”

Hontiveros then asked whether the substantial foreign remittances to Cale88 could be covered by the BIR’s Run After Tax Evaders program, to which Marquez replied, “Yes, Your Honor. It’s possible.

BIR records showed that Cale88’s total sales from 2021 to 2025 amounted to P208.5 million, while AMLC records showed P776 million in financial inflows.

Senator-judge Win Gatchalian pointed out the glaring discrepancy and asked whether it could be grounds for issuing Cale88 a letter of authority, which would effectively allow an audit by the BIR.

Marquez replied that the BIR had already issued an LOA for the corporation, adding that Cale88 should declare all cash inflows in its audited financial statements.

In the same vein, Senator-judge Joel Villanueva raised concerns about a corporation with just P125,000 in paid-up capital, with only two employees generating P150.77 million in sales in 2024 while incurring P6.13 million in losses.

Villanueva flagged it as “alarming,” while Marquez described such a skeletal workforce as “impossible.”

“I’m not saying I’m presuming this is a fictitious operation. Just alarming,” Villanueva stressed.

Citing an audited financial statement, Villanueva said Cale88 reported P23 million in gross sales, P3.33 million in direct labor, and P205,000 in salaries and wages in 2023 alone.