Barbers questions Sara's WPS silence amid China-linked funds allegations

Former lawmaker Robert Ace Barbers has questioned whether alleged China-linked financial transactions involving companies associated with Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, could explain her silence on Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Barbers, spokesperson for the House impeachment prosecution panel, raised the issue following testimony concerning millions of pesos allegedly received by Duterte, Carpio and businesses linked to them.

He said the disclosures could prompt the public to question Duterte's position on China's actions in Philippine waters, particularly amid reports of harassment against Filipino fishermen.

“It is a big disservice to the Filipino people that when you were campaigning you swore to protect the country and the public’s interest. Now the public are asking, why has there been no statement coming from the Vice President?” Barbers said in a radio interview.

“[Duterte] hasn’t even given any statement to challenge the aggressiveness of China,” he added.

The allegations emerged during the impeachment proceedings involving Duterte's alleged unexplained wealth from 2007 to 2025.

Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified that CALE88, a company linked to Duterte and Carpio, received funds from China-based companies.

The prosecution identified five transactions between 2022 and 2024, ranging from P4.3 million to P5.6 million.

Forensic expert Alexander Cabrera also presented findings showing that Duterte allegedly received P222.62 million in remittances from nine countries.

Of that amount, Cabrera attributed P193.95 million to transactions involving 10 companies in China.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV separately claimed during a 2 October press conference that CALE88 received P319 million from China.

Trillanes also alleged that the Duterte-linked Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc. received foreign funds.

Although initially expected to testify in the impeachment trial, Trillanes withdrew as a prospective witness, saying he wanted to relieve pressure on the prosecution panel.

Barbers maintained that the financial disclosures warranted public scrutiny, particularly as Chinese vessels continue to interfere with the livelihood of Filipino fishermen in the WPS.

On Saturday, 10 October, fisherfolk from Zambales issued a manifesto urging the Senate impeachment court to investigate the alleged P319 million in China-linked funds.

The group said the allegations raised concerns about the protection of Filipino fishermen and their right to fish safely in Philippine waters.

Meanwhile, the prosecution panel presented Cabrera as its final witness and moved to drop Article III of the impeachment case, which concerns allegations that Duterte bribed officials of the Department of Education.

The reported transactions do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing or prove that the funds influenced Duterte's position on the WPS.