QC prosecutors dismiss VP husband's complaint over bank records release

Quezon City prosecutors have dismissed for lack of jurisdiction a complaint filed by Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, against several lawmakers and ex-officio members of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for making the couple’s bank records public. The Office of the City Prosecutor recommended dismissal albeit “without prejudice,” saying it could not act on the matter because all the respondents are public officials with Salary Grade 28 or higher. The Sept. 7 resolution said the acts cited by Carpio—including the House subpoena for AMLC reports on alleged suspicious transactions involving Duterte, and the lawmakers’ statements during her House impeachment proceedings—were performed in connection with their official duties. READ: Solons say ‘good’ that Carpio complaint close to being junked Named as respondents in the complaint filed in April were Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, chair of the House justice committee; Akbayan Representatives Percival Cendaña and Chel Diokno; Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima; Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon; ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio; Kabataan Rep. Renee Co; and Manila Rep. Joel Chua. Also named were AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr.; Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Francisco Lim; and Insurance Commission chief Reynaldo Regalado. Carpio accused them of acting in conspiracy to illegally disclose his and his wife’s bank records without their consent. He cited the April 14, 2026, House committee hearing where Cendaña sought a subpoena ordering the AMLC to provide reports on Duterte’s bank transactions from 2006 to 2025. Diokno supported the request and said he had sought similar reports involving other members of the Vice President’s family. Carpio also cited the remarks lawmakers made in arguing that the Vice President was not protected by laws on the disclosure of AMLC reports. The prosecutors, however, said the subpoena and the lawmakers’ manifestations were made in performance of their official duties. “By no stretch of the imagination could we rule that these acts of the respondents were done in their private capacity,” the resolution said. The dismissal did not determine whether Carpio’s allegations were substantiated or not, but only ruled the complaint was filed before a body that had no jurisdiction on the matter. Carpio’s lawyer, Peter Paul Danao, said his client would still exhaust all available legal remedies, noting that the resolution “does not constitute a final determination on the merits.” /cb