MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday stressed the need for transparency and financial accountability following testimony from bank officials regarding the withdrawal of confidential funds made by Vice President Sara Duterte.
The statement comes after former Land Bank branch managers said during the senate impeachment trial on Wednesday that the multi-million-peso cash withdrawals—including a P125 million withdrawal in a single day—made by Duterte’s offices were "unusual" and “unprecedented.”
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said that the testimony established that the funds were indeed withdrawn and could not be refuted.
“If the bank representatives deemed the activity unusual, then that is likely the course of action the bank officials should have taken: recognizing the unusual nature of the transaction and reporting it to the AMLC,” she said.
