3 in 5 Filipinos find China remittances to Cale88 unacceptable

MANILA — A majority of Filipino adults find it unacceptable for a company linked to Vice President Sara Duterte to have received alleged remittances from China, according to the October 2026 National Momentum Survey released by Momentum Research on Nov. 13.

Cale88, a banana chips company owned by Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, has been linked to PHP 319 million in remittances from firms based in China and Hong Kong.

The non-commissioned survey, conducted Oct. 16 to 19, asked Filipino adults nationwide whether they find this acceptable or unacceptable.

As read to respondents in Filipino, the question cited an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report saying Cale88 received roughly PHP 319 million from China and Hong Kong even though the company had no employees or inventory.

The survey found that 61% find the remittances unacceptable, while only 20% consider them acceptable.

Around a fifth (19%) are unsure or refused to answer.

Broken down further, 13.6% called the remittances very unacceptable and 46.9% unacceptable, against 17.4% who said acceptable and 3% very acceptable. Another 15% were unsure and 4.2% refused to answer.

Figure 1. Views on alleged Chinese remittance to Cale88 (Chart: Momentum Research)

The AMLC testified before the Senate impeachment court that Cale88 had transacted with multiple Chinese companies over the past years, reporting a total of 141 covered transaction reports and three suspicious transactions worth PHP 319 million received by the company’s accounts.

AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura put the aggregate inward remittances from mainland China and Hong Kong at PHP 319,326,770.41.

The three suspicious transactions were flagged after the reporting institution cited the absence of an underlying legal or trade obligation, purpose, or economic justification, according to the AMLC records presented in court.

Buenaventura also testified that the remittances went to Cale88, not directly to Duterte or Carpio, and that it had not been established whether the funds came from the Chinese government.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, sitting as a senator-judge, told the court that some of the remitting firms were Chinese state-owned enterprises.

Company records cited in the proceedings showed Carpio held a 40% to 47.5% stake in the Davao-based firm from 2021 to 2024 before divesting in 2025.

Duterte neither confirmed nor denied the remitted funds.

At an October press conference, she told reporters there should be nothing wrong with doing business or negotiating with China, which is one of the country’s trade partners.

Cale88 and its transactions were just one of the pieces of evidence and witness testimony the prosecution presented in arguing its unexplained wealth case against the vice president.

In October, the House prosecution withdrew three of its four articles of impeachment, leaving the trial centered on allegations of unexplained wealth and Duterte’s asset declarations.

The defense opened its case on Nov. 9 and has lined up 24 witnesses.

By region

Majorities across all regions, except Mindanao, consider the reported Chinese remittances to Duterte’s banana chips company unacceptable.

Disapproval is strongest in Metro Manila (76%), followed by the Rest of Luzon and the Visayas (65% each).

Acceptance is lowest in the Visayas at 14%, compared with 17% in Metro Manila and 19% in the Rest of Luzon.

The Visayas, however, has a larger undecided bloc (21%) than Metro Manila (7%) and the Rest of Luzon (16%).

Mindanao is more divided, with 39% saying the remittances are unacceptable and 31% considering them acceptable.

Another 3 in 10 (30%) in Mindanao are also unsure, the highest share across regions.

The findings should be read with the region’s margin of error of plus or minus 5.8 percentage points in mind.

Figure 2. Views on alleged Chinese remittance to Cale88 (by region) (Chart: Momentum Research)

By faction

While Duterte supporters might be expected to view the alleged remittances as acceptable, nearly half (49%) of pro-Duterte adults actually consider them unacceptable, compared with a third (33%) who say they are acceptable.

Other factional groups, like the pro-opposition and independents, find the remittances to Cale88 more unacceptable, at 73% and 67%, respectively.

Momentum Research defines pro-opposition adults as those who align themselves with former Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Bam Aquino, and Hontiveros.

Nearly a fifth of independents (17%), however, are still unsure.

Among Marcos supporters, nearly two-thirds (65%) consider the Chinese remittances unacceptable, while 22% are unsure or declined to answer.

Despite this, the pro-Marcos group is the least accepting of the transactions linked to the vice president, with only 13% calling them acceptable.

Figure 3. Views on alleged Chinese remittance to Cale88 (by faction) (Chart: Momentum Research)

By generation

All generational groups also align with the general consensus that it is unacceptable for a firm linked to the vice president to receive remittances from companies based in China and Hong Kong.

Disapproval is highest among Gen X, aged 46 to 61, and Gen Z, aged 18 to 29, at 66% each.

Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation, aged 62 to 80, follow at 56%, and Millennials, aged 30 to 45, come last at 54%.

Millennials also posted the highest acceptance of any generation, at 28%.

The share of undecided is largest among Boomers, with almost 3 in 10 (28%) unsure or refusing to answer.

The younger generations have more or less a fifth still on the fence: 16% of Gen Z, 19% of Millennials, and 20% of Gen X.

Figure 4. Views on alleged Chinese remittance to Cale88 (by generation) (Chart: Momentum Research)

Methodology

Conducted from Oct. 16 to 19, the National Momentum Survey was carried out through face-to-face, computer-assisted personal interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,401 Filipino adults.

It has a national margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Subnational margins of error are plus or minus 7 percentage points for the National Capital Region, 3.8 for the Rest of Luzon (North, South, and Central Luzon), 6.1 for the Visayas, and 5.8 for Mindanao, all at a 95% confidence level.

The “unsure” and “refused” options were not read aloud to respondents by field researchers.

The October issue of the survey also covers government performance, the impeachment trial, the International Criminal Court trial, 2028 voting intentions, and national issues such as overseas Filipino workers’ rights, anti-political dynasty measures, and trust in media platforms.

Momentum Research, which describes itself as a nonpartisan public opinion research firm, said the complete survey results are available on its public dashboard at momentumresearch.ph.