Confidence in banking system intact – BSP

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has stated that confidence in the Philippine banking system remains intact, citing strong fundamentals and safeguards in place to protect the integrity of the financial system. This comes as the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte puts bank records and anti-money laundering reports under heightened public scrutiny, raising concerns over compliance, financial privacy, and reputational risks for banks.

During testimony before the Senate impeachment court, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) executive director Ronel Buenaventura disclosed that certain accounts of Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, recorded a total of P4.4 billion in covered and suspicious transactions between 2007 and 2025. Banks are required to report transactions exceeding P500,000 within a single banking day to the AMLC, while suspicious transactions may be reported regardless of the amount if red flags are present.

Bank officials are being called upon to testify on records subpoenaed by the impeachment court, although it is emphasized that filing such reports is a statutory compliance obligation and not an accusation of criminal activity. The accuracy of these transaction reports has come into question, with a recent example where a system glitch led to a correction from P2 billion to P2 million in a reported transaction.

The BSP stated that banks must address any deficiencies identified through supervision, providing opportunities for rectification or imposing penalties when necessary.

The public presentation of bank records and AMLC information has raised concerns about financial privacy and potential reputational implications for banks. Experts warn that trust in the entire banking system relies on the confidentiality of financial information, and its exposure could prompt capital movement, use of non-bank channels, or avoidance of local banking infrastructure.

While the Senate impeachment court maintains that AMLC confidentiality provisions do not prevent it from complying with subpoenas, the issue of financial privacy remains a critical concern.