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The company linked to Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, raises concerns beyond questions about unexplained assets, including potential national security implications, House prosecution spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said on Sunday.
“This goes beyond non-disclosure or unexplained assets in her SALN. It goes to the very core of national security concerns,” Adiong told Super Radyo dzBB.
Adiong made the statement after the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) confirmed that a company linked to Duterte and Carpio received P319 million from China and Hong Kong.
According to a table the AMLC presented, P315.93 million came from mainland China, while P3.39 million came from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Duterte questioned the allegations, asking whether doing business with China was prohibited on national security grounds.
“So ano ba talaga? Bawal ba talaga ang negosyo with China kasi it is a national security risk? Parang nakakahiya na nga yung drug haul na papuntang Pilipinas galing Laos and Thailand, tapos eto pa tayo na nagsasabing, ‘Naku, it’s a national security risk na magnegosyo with China.’ Nagiging troublemaker of Southeast Asia tayo,” Duterte said.
(So what is it, then? Is doing business with China really prohibited because it poses a national security risk? It is already embarrassing that there is a drug shipment bound for the Philippines from Laos and Thailand, and now we are saying that doing business with China is a national security risk. We are becoming the troublemaker of Southeast Asia.)
Adiong said Philippine authorities should investigate possible money laundering activities involving funds from China.
“Ito ba ang rason kung bakit ang Bise Presidente ay sinasabi niyang troublemaker ang Pilipinas despite the fact na ang China ay continuous ang mga aggressive na mga activity diyan sa West Philippine Sea? Hindi man lang siya makapagsabi ng kanyang posisyon, na makapag-call out these illegal activities committed by China,” Adiong said.
(Is this the reason why the Vice President is calling the Philippines a troublemaker despite China’s continued aggressive activities in the West Philippine Sea? She cannot even state her position or call out China's illegal activities.)
“Ito ba ang rason kung bakit nasasabi niya ’yun? Kasi may mga kumpanya niya, as declared sa kanyang SALN, na tumatanggap ng remittances galing sa China,” he added.
(Is this the reason she is saying that? Because companies linked to her, as declared in her SALN, are receiving remittances from China.)
In a separate statement, House prosecution adviser Robert Ace Barbers said authorities should examine whether China was exploiting the Philippines’ political divisions amid Duterte’s impeachment proceedings to advance its interests.
“Is China simply pursuing its aggressive maritime agenda, or is it also taking advantage of our political divisions to weaken our resolve? These are questions our national security officials must examine,” Barbers said.
“The impeachment proceedings are an internal constitutional process. China has no business exploiting our political differences to advance its interests in our waters,” he added.
Earlier this month, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported that 101 Chinese vessels had been monitored across several West Philippine Sea (WPS) features in September 2026.
The figure was higher than the 56 Chinese vessels monitored in the disputed area in August.—MCG, GMA News
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