The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Monday that Governor Eli Remolona Jr. has not yet been formally served with a criminal complaint filed by the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte over the alleged unauthorized disclosure of banking records.
The BSP issued the clarification following reports that Atty. Manases Reyes Carpio filed charges before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office alleging violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Bank Secrecy Law, and the Data Privacy Act.
“The Governor has yet to receive a copy of the complaint and will respond appropriately upon receipt, before the proper forum,” the BSP said in a statement.
The complaint centers on disclosures made during an April 22 House Committee on Justice hearing, which tackled Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) reports regarding alleged transactions tied to Carpio and the Vice President. The hearing was conducted in connection with impeachment complaints against Duterte.
Named alongside Remolona are AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura and several members of the House committee, including Gerville Luistro, Percival Cendaña, and legal figures Chel Diokno and Leila de Lima.
In response to the legal challenge, the BSP maintained that its actions and those of the country’s financial intelligence unit remain within the bounds of their regulatory authority.
“We emphasize that the BSP and the AMLC continue to perform their mandates in accordance with law, guided by independence, professionalism, and due process,” the central bank said.
The filing marks a high-profile escalation of the friction between the Vice President’s camp and state financial regulators.
Carpio alleges that the publicizing of sensitive banking data during the legislative inquiry breached strict confidentiality statutes.
The AMLC has yet to release its own statement regarding the complaint.
Remolona, who took office as governor in 2023, is expected to mount a formal defense once the summons is received.
