Bank accounts of Vice President Duterte's husband’s firm shut during impeachment trial
Two checking accounts of Cale88 Foods, linked to Manases Carpio, were closed in July 2026, the same month Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment began.
During Day 35 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Security Bank’s branch banking head Leslie Cham confirmed that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a business tied to her husband Manases Carpio, had two checking accounts opened in August 2024 and October 2025. Both accounts were closed in July 2026, coinciding with the start of the impeachment proceedings on July 6. Cham reported that the accounts ended 2025 with balances of at least P332,000 and P21,000 respectively.
Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified that Cale88 generated covered and suspicious transaction reports amounting to roughly P1.25 billion between 2022 and 2025, which included a P319 million inbound remittance from China. The company is listed in the joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth filed by the Vice President and Carpio over several years. Duterte’s legal team maintains that a suspicious-transaction report is insufficient to establish illegal activity, emphasizing the lack of direct evidence of wrongdoing.
Why it matters
The closures and financial scrutiny of a firm linked to the Vice President’s husband raise questions about potential conflicts of interest during a high-profile impeachment.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTBoth camps report that Security Bank confirmed accounts linked to Vice President Duterte’s husband were closed, but center coverage adds extensive details about AML council testimony and large suspicious transaction reports, suggesting potential misconduct.
LEFT
Left-leaning coverage presents the bank’s disclosure of balances for firms tied to the vice president as a straightforward factual update.
CENTER
Center coverage frames the account closures as occurring alongside the impeachment trial and highlights AML council findings of large suspicious transactions, implying possible wrongdoing.
The left emphasises
- discloses balances of firms linked to Vice President Sara Duterte
- bank serviced accounts for two companies tied to her
- year-end balances for the 2022-2025 period
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