MANILA, Philippines — The camp of lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, has strongly denied allegations that he and his wife were linked to P6.7 billion worth of bank transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC, calling the report “fake and a blatant lie.”

Carpio’s legal counsel, Atty. Peter Paul Danao, told reporters on May 4, 2026, “Atty. Carpio said that the P6 billion is fake and a lie. Wala siyang ganong pera. It is fake and a blatant lie, kumbaga sa Tagalog… Marites po yun, tsismis.” He explained that the AMLC report misrepresented transaction values by adding up inflows and outflows over nearly two decades, creating the impression of massive wealth.

The AMLC report, presented during the April 22 House Justice Committee impeachment hearing against Vice President Duterte, claimed that banks flagged 33 suspicious transactions and 630 covered transactions worth P6.7 billion involving the couple. According to AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, the flagged dealings spanned from 2006 to 2025.

Carpio’s camp has filed criminal complaints against Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., AMLC officials, and several lawmakers, accusing them of violating the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Bank Secrecy Law, and the Data Privacy Act by disclosing confidential bank records. “Dagok po ito sa industriya ng bangko. Si Atty. Mans, abogado, asawa pa siya ng VP. Kung kaya ng AMLC kalkalin lahat ng bank records ng isang abogado… paano pa tayong mga mahirap?” Danao warned.

Another lawyer, Neil Abayon, echoed concerns about selective justice, saying Carpio was unfairly dragged into political proceedings despite being a private citizen. Danao clarified that Carpio has no intention of suing media outlets that reported on the AMLC findings, but cautioned journalists to be careful in citing confidential reports. “Atty. Mans has not and has no intention to file any case against the media. We know that you’re doing your job only, but we’re just trying to caution you now,” he said.

Carpio’s camp also pointed to alleged errors in the AMLC report, including a supposed bank system glitch that mistakenly recorded a P2 billion transaction. They argued that the figures were being used as political propaganda to bolster impeachment complaints against Vice President Duterte.

The controversy has intensified the impeachment proceedings against Duterte, with critics citing unexplained wealth and misuse of public funds. Carpio’s denial underscores the growing legal and political battle over the AMLC disclosures, raising broader concerns about privacy, due process, and the integrity of the banking system in the Philippines.