By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The defense of Vice President Sara Duterte is set to resume its cross-examination of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura as the impeachment trial enters Day 34 on Tuesday.
The defense spent part of Monday’s eight-hour session questioning the AMLC chief over financial records involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
Buenaventura testified that banks reported 666 covered transactions exceeding P500,000 involving the couple from 2007 to 2025, along with 55 suspicious transaction reports, with the combined value reaching about P4.4 billion.
Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan challenged the way the figures were presented, pointing out that the same funds could have been repeatedly moved through accounts, potentially producing multiple reportable transactions without representing new money.
Vinluan also questioned Buenaventura’s knowledge of the actual purpose and nature of individual transactions contained in the AMLC records.
The defense further warned that disclosure of financial information could expose the AMLC official and journalists to liability under bank secrecy laws.
Several senator-judges expressed concern over what they viewed as the potentially chilling tone of the warnings.
The defense had earlier sought to bar Buenaventura from testifying, invoking financial confidentiality protections. The impeachment court rejected the request, ruling that such protections are not absolute when financial records are examined in an authorized accountability proceeding.
Buenaventura’s testimony is expected to remain a key focus as the defense challenges the prosecution’s interpretation of the financial records.
ia/xf
