The Senate impeachment court sat on Monday, October 5, for Day 33. AMLC executive director Ronel Buenaventura testified on covered and suspicious transaction reports tied to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, including about ₱319.3 million in remittances from China to Cale88 Foods Corp. (GMA News, Philstar, Manila Bulletin). Presiding officer Chiz Escudero denied Sen. Imee Marcos's objection to discussing foreign-currency accounts, citing Bangko Sentral rules. The defense had tried to block the witness and lost. Separately, House prosecutors confirmed they will drop the bribery charge, and the Palace questioned the move (Tribune, Philstar). Trillanes had alleged the China-linked flows at a press conference on October 2.
The wealth article is the heart of the case. If the court accepts that money flowed from China-linked firms to a company tied to the vice president's husband, it shifts the debate from "unexplained" to "who paid and why", although the AMLC itself draws no legal conclusion.
This is a political process, not a public service change. It matters for the 2028 race and for how much trust voters place in the Senate as a court.
Documents from the AMLC and banks give the court firm records to test, which is better than relying on press conferences.
Reported transactions are not proof of crime, and the defense says the case is political and built on claims by a long-time critic.
Separate three things: what a witness said, what documents show, and what the court finds. So far only the first two exist. Watch cross-examination of the AMLC figures and whether the dropped bribery charge shortens the trial.
GMA News, Philstar, Manila Bulletin, Daily Tribune, Inquirer, Khaleej Times (Oct 2-5, 2026)
Impeachment court hears AMLC on ₱319 million sent to a firm tied to Sara Duterte's husband; prosecutors to drop bribery charge
On Day 33 the Senate ruled that testimony on foreign-currency accounts may go ahead. The Duterte camp rejects the allegations, and no verdict date has been set.
The Senate impeachment court heard Day 33 of the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, October 5, with Ronel Buenaventura, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), on the stand, according to GMA News, Philstar and Manila Bulletin. He testified on bank-reported transactions involving Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to Duterte's husband, Manases Carpio. The amount flagged in his testimony was ₱319,326,770.41 in remittances from China, matching a figure that former senator Antonio Trillanes IV made public at a press conference on October 2.
The presiding officer, Francis "Chiz" Escudero, denied an objection by Sen. Imee Marcos to discussing foreign-currency accounts, citing Bangko Sentral rules, and the court earlier turned down a defense motion to keep the AMLC official from testifying. The AMLC reports transactions; it does not decide whether they are illegal, and the court has made no finding. Duterte's camp has called Trillanes a liar and denies wrongdoing.
Two side developments drew attention. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro questioned the House prosecutors' plan to drop the bribery charge, saying the public may be left without answers, though she said the decision is the panel's to make (Tribune, Philstar). And a Philstar report said two senators denied the court spokesman's statement that a December 16 verdict date had been set.