Senator-judges condemn defense’s ‘threats’ in disclosing AMLC records

MANILA — The senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday condemned the defense’s perceived threats in relation to the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) disclosure of the second-highest official bank transactions.

Citing Section 8-A of the revised Anti-Money Laundering Act, the defense maintained that the AMLC records should be kept confidential and that the council and its secretariat, including Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura who took the witness stand, cannot disclose information even in an impeachment trial.

Trial presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero at the start of the Monday trial rejected the defense’s position and allowed Buenaventura to testify.

The witness testified that Duterte and her husband’s transaction records from 2007 to 2025 totaled P4.4 billion, based on the covered transaction reports (CTR) and suspicious transaction reports (STRs) involving the couple. 

During cross-examination, defense counsel Mark Vinluan confronted Buenaventura with a part of the AMLC documents advising end-users to “not use the information as evidence in formal proceedings.”

Through Vinluan’s questioning, Buenaventura said the House Committee on Justice’s previous proceedings related to the impeachment complaint against Duterte and the Senate trial may be considered formal proceedings. 

Vinluan also asked if the public, media, and members of the House Committee on Justice and their staff were end-users, to which the witness said he was “not in the position to answer.”

Buenaventura highlighted that the document says “end-users are advised to,” and that “[he] cannot add anything that is not stated in the document.”

Vinluan then confronted the witness with the penal provisions in the AMLA, which set the punishment for breach of confidentiality at three to eight years of imprisonment and a fine of not less than P500,000. 

Sen. Francis Pangilinan denounced the defense’s line of questioning, saying the AMLC head has already said his disclosure was authorized by the subpoena issued by the court. 

“It leads us to think that maybe in the cross-examination, the defense counsel will raise the possible criminal liability of the senator-judges? I don’t know,” Pangilinan said.  

“If the defense wishes to raise this issue, bring it to the Supreme Court perhaps. But raising the issue of possible criminal liability for authorized disclosure in this impeachment court, I believe, is uncalled for,” he added. 

Sen. Vicente Sotto III meanwhile reminded the court of parliamentary immunity, which protects lawmakers from facing arrest, civil lawsuits, or criminal charges for actions made while doing their job.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros also said it is wrong to threaten, even if indirectly, the media, who she said were doing an essential job in relaying information that transpired in the trial to the public.

“Dapat po walang chilling effect, na either sadyang o di-sadyang, lilikhain sa hanay ng 4th estate,” she said. 

The court is tackling the second article of impeachment, which accuses Vice President Sara Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth, committing Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth violations, and failing to divest from business interests. 

Meanwhile, spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said the defense “did not really intend to threaten anyone or at least create a perception of threatening anyone, of course that includes the senator judges, the witness and even the media.”

“We regret that any senator felt that way kasi hindi naman talaga intention to threaten anyone,” he said.