Vice President's husband allegedly withdrew 41 million pesos in cash in one day

During the 33rd day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura revealed that her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, withdrew a total of 41 million pesos in cash on August 6, 2024. The withdrawals were split between BDO Unibank (23 million) and Philippine National Bank (18 million) in six separate transactions. Prosecutor Mae Divinagracia pointed out that the couple’s 2024 joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth does not list any cash, creating a discrepancy with the alleged withdrawals.

Earlier, Ombudsman attorney Karen Batu testified that the SALN filings from 2019 through 2025 consistently show no cash on hand or in banks. Defense counsel Mark Vinluan objected, claiming Carpio is not subject to impeachment, but Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero overruled the objection, emphasizing the shared nature of their assets. The evidence supports Article 2 of the impeachment case, which accuses the Vice President of undisclosed wealth and failure to divest as required by the Constitution.