A complaint filed by lawyer Manases Carpio is being dismissed by a House leader as a diversion that fails to address the core issue hounding the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts and a member of the justice panel, said the legal move filed before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court sidesteps the central question surrounding billions of pesos in alleged unexplained wealth.
Ridon argued that instead of confronting the substance of the allegations, the complaint shifts attention to how the financial information surfaced. He maintained that the filing does not refute the reported P6.77 billion in transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
According to Ridon, the absence of any denial of the figures raises further concerns. “There has been no rejection of the numbers. What’s being questioned is the method of disclosure, not the accuracy of the data,” he said, adding that this weakens Carpio’s position.
The AMLC data cited include P4.43 billion in inflows, P1.55 billion in outflows, and P791.1 million in transactions of undetermined nature, resulting in a net inflow of P2.88 billion. Ridon stressed that these are official records generated by the country’s financial monitoring system, not speculative claims.
He also questioned the legal basis of Carpio’s complaint, saying it cannot override Congress’ constitutional authority to conduct impeachment proceedings and compel the submission of evidence.
Ridon rejected arguments citing alleged violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Bank Secrecy Law, and the Data Privacy Act, explaining that these do not exempt public officials from accountability, particularly in cases involving possible unexplained wealth.
He further clarified that AMLC disclosures do not constitute prohibited bank inquiries under existing laws, as the agency is mandated to monitor and report suspicious financial activities.
For Ridon, the complaint’s focus on alleged breaches of confidentiality does little to address the fundamental issue of whether the financial transactions align with declared assets, net worth, and lawful income.
He warned that, if left unexplained, the discrepancy could point to unexplained wealth and potentially constitute a betrayal of public trust, one of the key grounds being examined in the impeachment case.
Ridon added that, rather than deflecting scrutiny, the filing underscores the need for greater accountability and clearer explanations of the transactions in question.