By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV alleged Friday that more than P319 million from China-linked entities flowed into Cale88 Foods Corp., a food company previously owned by Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio.
Trillanes made the disclosure a day after House prosecutors dropped him as a witness in Duterte’s impeachment trial. He said he asked to be removed to ease pressure on the prosecution but would publicly reveal what he intended to present before the senator-judges.
“Dapat kilabutan po tayo dito… Bawal po iyan,” Trillanes said, arguing that receiving funds from a foreign government would have serious implications when involving a sitting vice president.
SEC Director Gerardo Del Rosario earlier testified that Carpio was an incorporator, director and shareholder of Cale88 from 2021 to 2024, with his stake reaching 47.5% in 2024 before disappearing from the company’s records in 2025.
Trillanes questioned Cale88’s financial records, noting that the company reported P208.49 million in sales while more than P300 million allegedly entered its accounts. He also cited its low electricity expenses, lack of reported rank-and-file employees and sharp increase in sales from P20,000 in 2022 to P150 million in 2024.
“Kahit sabihin natin, sige, worth P200 million na banana chips ang binili, pero P300 million ang dineposito?” he said.
Lead prosecutor Rep. Jinky Luistro confirmed that AMLC records submitted to the impeachment court contained summaries of remittances to Cale88 from China and other countries, but declined to disclose the amounts because of the sub judice rule.
Trillanes also cited P150 million received by the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc., a Davao City nonprofit founded by Duterte, from the Chinese Embassy.
The funds were donated in 2019 for the construction of 13 classroom buildings, with the project coordinated with the Department of Education in Davao City. The organization’s records showed that the remaining P8.42 million was disbursed in 2020.
Duterte, then Davao City mayor, had led the groundbreaking at Agdao Elementary School in 2018 with then-Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, who described the donation as an expression of appreciation for then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s China policy.
Duterte has denied allegations involving unexplained wealth and previously accused Trillanes of reviving allegations against her family that he had raised since 2016.
ia/xf
