Tapang at Malasakit: The Sara-led group that received P150 million from China

Metro Manila, Philippines – A group led by Sara Duterte during her time as Davao City mayor received P150 million from the Chinese government in 2018, a transaction that has resurfaced amid questions over China-linked funds involving entities associated with the vice president.

Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines was launched in October 2017 as an umbrella organization of groups that supported then-President Rodrigo Duterte during his presidential campaign.

Sara led the launch of the alliance in Taguig City, where she called on supporters to rally behind the administration and work together on problems facing their communities.

At the time, organizers described Tapang at Malasakit as an alliance against “destructive politicking” and maintained that it was not a political organization.

Less than a year later, the group became involved in a P150-million education project funded by the Chinese government.

The Chinese government, through its embassy in Manila, donated P150 million for the construction of 13 school buildings in Davao City, according to a Philippine News Agency report published in October 2018.

The donation was coursed through Tapang at Malasakit, which PNA described as the conduit between the Chinese government and the Department of Education for the project. Sara was identified at the time as the alliance’s lead convenor.

Sara and then-Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua attended the ceremonial groundbreaking at Agdao Elementary School on Oct. 5, 2018.

Zhao publicly acknowledged the Chinese government’s assistance during the event.

The ambassador said China was happy to provide the donation after seeing the importance Davao City placed on education.

Sara, for her part, thanked the Chinese government and described the project as a shared commitment to the education of young people.

The P150-million transaction resurfaced eight years later after former Senator Sonny Trillanes included it in a presentation on financial transactions he said he had intended to discuss as a prosecution witness in Duterte’s impeachment trial.

“Tapang at Malasakit, pumasok P150 million,” Trillanes said.

[Translation: “P150 million went into Tapang at Malasakit.”]

Trillanes cited the donation alongside separate transactions he alleged involved money from the Chinese government and China-based corporations flowing to entities connected to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio.

He argued that the transactions, taken together, raised national security concerns.

Are foreign donations prohibited?

Philippine law does not impose a blanket prohibition on private nonprofit organizations receiving funding from foreign sources. Securities and Exchange Commission records and regulations recognize grants, contributions and donations from international or foreign funding institutions as potential sources of funds for nonprofit organizations, subject to applicable reporting and regulatory requirements.

Different restrictions apply, however, when a public official personally receives something from a foreign government.

Article IX-B, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution provides that an elective or appointive public official or employee may not accept, without the consent of Congress, “any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind” from a foreign government.

The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees also restricts public officials from soliciting or accepting gifts or anything of monetary value in connection with their official duties. 

Election law provides another restriction. Sections 95 and 96 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibit foreign nationals and foreign corporations from making contributions for partisan political activity and prohibit any person or entity from soliciting or receiving aid or contributions from a foreign national, government or entity for the purpose of influencing an election.

But the publicly documented P150-million transaction involving Tapang at Malasakit was described at the time as a Chinese government donation for the construction of school buildings, not as a personal donation to Sara Duterte or an election contribution.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila declined to address Trillanes’ latest allegations when sought for comment by NewsWatch Plus.

“This is Philippine domestic politics. No comment,” the embassy said.

NewsWatch Plus has reached out to Tapang at Malasakit foundation for a comment.