Palace to Duterte camp: Show records disproving alleged China ties

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday challenged the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte to show records disproving her alleged connection with China.

The challenge stemmed from an allegation by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that CALLE88 Foods Corp., a company linked to Mans Carpio, received P319 million from the Chinese government.

READ: Palace wants closer look at ‘China money’ linked to VP husband’s firm

Trillanes also claimed that the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc., a foundation where Duterte is an incorporator, received a P150-million donation from the Chinese embassy in the Philippines.

Duterte, through her spokesperson, Atty. Paolo Panelo Jr., has denied the accusations, with Panelo insisting that the vice president has no ties to China.

But during Monday’s briefing, Palace press officer Claire Castro said it would be better for the Duterte camp to present records to substantiate its denial.

“It’s not enough to simply say that it didn’t happen, that it’s not true, that it’s a lie, or that it’s just another fabrication by this administration. Will they deny that China indeed donated P150 million to the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance? If they say there was no such donation, it would be better to show the records to prove it,” Castro said.

READ: China denies funneling funds to PH official after Trillanes claim

She likewise urged Trillanes to support his claim, saying the matter should be investigated not to discredit anyone but to find the truth and determine whether a foreign country interfered in Philippine politics.

Castro also maintained that the Marcos administration is only seeking to establish the truth, following Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng’s denial that the Chinese government had “funneled funds” to Duterte.

Ji also condemned the allegation as “malicious” and said Filipinos should not drag China-Philippines relations into domestic politics.

“As far as the president and this administration are concerned, what matters is the truth. If they did not donate P150 million for former President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s political career and political activities, then there would be no problem,” Castro said.

In a statement on Friday, Castro said the claims made by Trillanes should not be taken lightly if backed by sufficient evidence.

She said the allegation, if proven true, may explain why some officials are tight-lipped when China harasses the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea. /das