TRILLANES, VINDICATED

At least 18 transactions cited in affidavits submitted by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV were present in the reports of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) involving Vice President Sara Duterte.

Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila De Lima selected the entries and asked the council to verify these transactions if they were a part of their investigation during the impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

All 18 transactions identified by De Lima were found in AMLC reports according to Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura.

One transaction in particular amounting ₱16,852,832.94 was present on their records dating back to December 9, 2014 matched an entry in Trillanes' affidavit.

While AMLC confirmed that the transactions were in the report, it did not state whether the entries established any direct link to the Vice President.

The issue traces back when former President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Trillanes when he challenged him to sign a bank secrecy waiver, a move that peaked tensions between the two.

During a House Quad Committee hearing on November 13, 2024, the former President threatened Trillanes after claiming that he and his relatives bank accounts were allegedly linked to drug lords.

Meanwhile, allegations that ₱181.6 million in checks resurface as Trillanes states that alleged drug lord Samuel "Sammy" Uy funneled it to the Dutertes, an accusation that remains unproven.

AMLC emphasized that the suspicious transactions are those amounts that are unknown and reported by banks, while the covered transactions are bank transactions over ₱500,000 that are notified by the banks to the council.