VP Duterte-linked firm had transactions with Chinese companies: AMLC

MANILA — An anti-money laundering official testified Monday that a company linked to Vice President Sara Duterte engaged in business dealings with Chinese firms, raising questions about the nature and scale of the transactions. Ronel Buenaventura, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat, identified CALE 88 as among the vice president's business interests and detailed its financial connections to four Chinese companies during the proceedings. The transactions included a remittance valued at more than P5.6 million, according to Buenaventura's testimony before investigators. CALE 88 was cited as having conducted a total of 742 transactions during the period under review, though specific details about the nature of these dealings were not immediately disclosed. The revelation adds to ongoing scrutiny of the vice president's business interests and financial activities, as authorities continue examining cross-border financial flows linked to prominent political figures.