MANILA (UPDATE) – Casino junket operator Kim Wong and Philrem Services Corp. gave conflicting statements on Tuesday when the Senate questioned them over the cash deliveries involved in an $81-million laundering heist.

Philrem president Salud Bautista and treasurer Michael "Concon" Bautista, and Wong contradicted each other about the amounts involved in the transactions, the presence of Wong during the deliveries, and the whereabouts of $17 million.

Philrem officers maintained that they do not have $17 million from the illegal funds that they converted to pesos, contrary to Wong's claim that the amount is in their keeping.

"We've always accepted the fact that this transaction was a mistake. And we will take the hits because we have to help solve this problem for everybody. But we are not keeping money. There is no money with us," Concon Bautista said.

Philrem officers clarified that they handed over $30 million in cash--in the amounts of P600 million and $18 million--to a certain Weikang Xu, a business associate of Wong.

Both Wong and Xu are facing money laundering charges filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

READ: Kim Wong, junket operator sued for money laundering

Philrem said the money was transferred in six tranches: the first was personally delivered by Salud and a Philrem messenger to Xu, Wong and other Chinese nationals at Solaire, and the next five tranches were picked up from their home.

Philrem said the first delivery involved P90 million and $500,000. But Wong said that only P80 million was delivered.

For the second transaction, Philrem said Wong picked up P110 million and $3 million. But Wong said he only picked up P100 million and $3 million or short by P10 million.

Philrem said Wong then picked up another P100 million and $3 million, but again Wong disputed the amounts.

The Bautistas said Xu was present in all the six transactions. Wong, meanwhile, said he does not have any knowledge of Philrem’s dealings with Xu in the fifth and sixth transactions.

Concon Bautista said all the instructions came from RCBC Jupiter branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito.

However, Deguito denied ordering Philmrem to deliver funds to Xu, saying she does not know Xu, and her instructions were limited to the bank transactions.

“My instructions were just within the bank transactions, as to where the funds will go and how it will be delivered, I have no concern,” she said.

Deguito is also facing money laundering charges filed by the AMLC before the Department of Justice.

SOLAIRE DINNER

When Philrem delivered the first tranche of cash to Wong in Solaire on February 5, 2016, Deguito was also at the casino to meet with Wong.

But Deguito said she had no knowledge of the transaction and she was only in Solaire because she was invited by Wong.

The Bautistas of Philrem, meanwhile, said they did not know that they were dealing with Wong.

"When we delivered the cash and [Wong] was there, his explanation was he was an interpreter of the players...we did not know it was his transaction," said Concon Bautista.

After the transaction between Wong and the Bautistas, they all had dinner with Deguito at a Korean restaurant in Solaire.

Deguito said she knew the Bautistas from her days as a bank teller some 15-16 years ago. She was the one who recommended Philrem to Wong.

"Sir Kim asked to look for someone that could assist them to have the funds converted to peso...[I recommended Philrem] because I know he knows Concon [Bautista]," said Deguito.

Concon Bautista admitted that he knows Wong through common friends, but said they never did business before that night in Solaire.

For its business with Wong and the junket operators, Philrem said it earned P10 million in transaction fees.