Senator Joel Villanueva brought attention to Cale88 Foods Corporation's remarkable P150 million sales in 2024, which raised eyebrows due to the company operating with only two employees.
This inquiry occurred during the 37th day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, where Villanueva questioned the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) about the food company owned by Mans Carpio, Duterte's husband.
Based po dito, may sales po sila na P150,595,605 na exempt at may sales din po na under sa—subject to regular income tax na P169,564 or a total of P150,765,259.
Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez, BIR Chief of Staff
Garcia-Marquez noted that Cale88 reported expenses of P11,428,809 for the same year.
Villanueva expressed his confusion regarding the company's high sales figures relative to its limited workforce. He questioned how a business could operate effectively with such a small number of employees while managing significant sales and foreign transactions.
If ganito po at manufacturer po siya ng… banana chips, then parang impossible po unless naka-machine sila ng dalawang employee lang.
Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez, BIR Chief of Staff
The senator's inquiries reflect a broader context of accountability in business practices, especially concerning the unexplained wealth amidst the ongoing political scrutiny.
Villanueva also attempted to obtain information regarding employee wages at Cale88 for 2023, but was informed that such details were unavailable. He did, however, reference the company's P23 million in gross sales from the previous year.