Forensic financial analyst Atty. Alexander Cabrera told the Senate impeachment court that P41 million in bank accounts belonging to Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, was encashed and withdrawn within 73 minutes on August 6, 2024.
Cabrera said the transactions warranted further investigation due to the unusual speed and cash-heavy nature of the withdrawals.
House Prosecutor Chel Diokno highlighted the six rapid transactions during Friday’s direct examination as prosecutors compared the couple’s financial records against Duterte’s official wealth declarations.
Cabrera identified two BDO checks payable to cash and four Philippine National Bank (PNB) cash withdrawals, with bank timestamps recording the first transaction at 12:05:04 p.m. and the final entry at 1:17:56 p.m.
“Total po ng transaction na ito, ang withdrawal during that day ay ₱41M from BDO and from PNB,” Cabrera testified.
The exact span between the initial and final banking transactions measured 72 minutes and 52 seconds.
Table 24 of Cabrera’s forensic audit, presented by the prosecution, detailed the bank name, transaction type, amount, and timestamp for each withdrawal made during a single afternoon during Duterte’s vice presidency.
The first BDO check, processed at the C.M. Recto branch at 12:05:04 p.m., totaled P8 million, followed by a second check for P15 million at 12:06:26 p.m.
The two checks payable to cash combined for P23 million, processed just one minute and 22 seconds apart.
Four PNB transactions followed at its Davao San Pedro C.M. Recto branch, starting with a P5-million cash withdrawal at 12:21:33 p.m., a P3-million withdrawal at 12:22:17 p.m., a P5-million withdrawal at 12:23 p.m., and a final P5-million withdrawal at 1:17:56 p.m.
The PNB withdrawals totaled P18 million, bringing the total sum drawn from both banks to P41 million, with the first three PNB withdrawals moving P13 million in cash within one minute and 27 seconds.
Asked by Diokno to name the primary documents supporting his findings, Cabrera answered: “Yung cheque na pay to cash at yung withdrawal slips.”
The prosecutor entered the corresponding exhibit references into the trial record, with BDO checks appearing on pages 216 to 217 and PNB withdrawal slips located on pages 185 to 188 of the bank exhibits.
Cabrera confirmed that all supporting documents were attached directly to his formal audit report.
“Based on your professional experience, why did you say in your report that these transactions should be further investigated?” Diokno asked.
Cabrera noted that moving such large sums of physical cash deviates from standard banking practices for major corporate or personal transactions.
“Normally ang gagawin ng tao, magpapa-issue sila ng manager’s cheque kung malaki ang ma-withdraw,” Cabrera said.
While Cabrera’s audit documented the precise timing and sequence of the P41-million withdrawal episode, the report did not specify the eventual recipient or subsequent use of the withdrawn funds.
Diokno also raised questions regarding the physical condition of the bank documents provided to the analyst.
Cabrera said payee names on several BDO checks were blacked out with marker, though text remained readable underneath.
“Kita po yung mga letra po doon sa initiman po ng mga pangalan,” Cabrera explained.
Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero permitted questions regarding how the expert analyzed the altered documents, but later ruled that displaying redacted checks or payee names in open court was unnecessary.
Diokno focused his examination on the financial behavior shown in the PNB withdrawals and BDO cash checks, rather than examining the P41 million as an end-of-year account balance.
Cabrera repeated that the combination of massive cash sums and compressed withdrawal times led him to recommend deeper scrutiny.
In the same line of inquiry into BDO documents, Cabrera identified P11.35 million in checks issued to Lourdes Lebosada.
Cabrera described her as Carpio’s business partner in CALE88, holding a 47.5-percent ownership stake in the firm.
Diokno questioned the expert regarding those specific payments before concluding his review of the P41-million cash withdrawal sequence.