.jpg)
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV holds a press conference at Club Filipino in San Juan City on Friday, October 2, 2026, presenting his findings on the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Vice President Sara Duterte. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio received millions-worth of remittances from the People’s Republic of China, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said on Friday, a day after his appearance at the second-in-command’s impeachment trial was withdrawn.
Prosecution drops Trillanes as impeachment witness
China funneled some P319 million through Carpio’s Cale88 Foods Corp, while Duterte’s Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc. received P150 million from the Chinese Embassy for the construction of 13 classrooms, Trillanes said in a press conference in San Juan City.
“Ito na ang paraan ng China sa pagsuporta sa mag-asawang Duterte. Dapat kilabutan po tayo kasi Vice President po siya, may national security implications,” the former lawmaker said.
“Bawal po yang tumanggap from a foreign government, especially high-ranking official siya of the national government... Kapag ba hindi pa impeachable yan, ewan ko na lang. Nagbubulag-bulagan na lang tayo, nagtatanga-tanagahan na po tayo,” he added.
Cale88 is registered as a factory and exporter of banana chips, but in its 2024 general information sheet, it cited “zero rank and file employees” and posted a cash balance of P400,294 “despite millions in sales,” Trillanes said.
Cale88’s reported 2024 sales was at P150 million, but it only paid P10,705 in income taxes last year, he said.
Meanwhile, Duterte’s Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc. received a P150-million donation from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines in 2019, which was fully disbursed in December 2020, Trillanes alleged.
'I DID THE NECESSARY LEGWORK'
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV holds a press conference at Club Filipino in San Juan City on Friday, October 2, 2026, presenting his findings on the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Vice President Sara Duterte. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
Trillanes claimed that these were based on actual documents and contracts from various government agencies, which the prosecution would soon present before the Senate impeachment court.
“Ito ni-research ng aming team, 100 percent tinitindigan ko yan,” the former senator said.
“Makikita niyo ‘yan sa mga dadating na araw... We will be turning over everything sa prosecution team. I’m confident na mas marami pa ang hawak nila,” he added.
The former senator was supposed to be called as one of the prosecution’s witness for Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth, but he was abruptly withdrawn from the list earlier this week.
When asked why his accusations against Duterte and Carpio should not be treated as hearsay, Trillanes said that he “did the necessary legwork” to map out the family’s questionable financial transactions.
“I have personal knowledge sa findings ng investigation na ginawa namin. Alam ko that these documents exist. Nag imbestiga ako, kinumpara ko,” he said.
“I did the necessary legwork. Hindi lang ako basta nag-allege,” he said.
While firsthand knowledge is “essential” in criminal proceedings, the standard could be different in an impeachment trial, he said.
Aside from Duterte and Carpio’s alleged remittances from China, Trillanes also accused the Vice President, her father and her siblings of allegedly receiving payoffs from Davao-based businessman Sammy Uy, who he has repeatedly described as a known drug lord in Davao.
ABS-CBN News has reached out to Duterte, Carpio and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines for comment but they have yet to respond.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said the allegation against Duterte should not be ignored if there was enough evidence.
“Kung sapat ang ebidensya, hindi ito dapat isawalang bahala,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a statement.
While the administration is not passing judgment for now, Castro said public officials who are tight-lipped on the aggression against Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea due to money could be considered as traitors.
“Maituturing na pagtataksil sa bayan ang mga Filipino lalo na kung sila ay mga public official na kaya pala tahimik sa mga karahasang natatanggap ng iba nating mangingisda sa kamay ng mga dayuhan at ang iba naman ay handang ipamigay ang parte ng ating teritoryo o karapatan sa WPS ay dahil natatapalan ng pera ang kanilang mga mata para talikuran ang pagmamahal sa sariling bayan at ibenta ang ating Kalayaan,” she said.
“Ang mga kumukunsinte sa ganitong gawain ay dapat na kalusin hindi bukas... kundi ngayon! Huwag natin hayaan ang ibang opisyal pa natin ang siyang dudurog sa sarili nating bansa. Gumising tayong lahat,” she added.
— With a report from Harlene Delgado, ABS-CBN News
RELATED VIDEO: