The complex financial crimes exposed in the investigation into the corruption behind anomalous flood control projects have prompted Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson to file a bill further strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Senate Bill 1557, which Lacson filed on Wednesday, gives the AMLC additional powers while widening the scope of covered persons and updating the list of predicate offenses to money laundering.
“Recent corruption issues have highlighted the complexities of financial crimes. Updating the AMLA to meet the requirements of the times would also prevent us from being placed in the FATF Greylist again,” Lacson said in his bill, noting that the Philippines will be subjected to the FATF’s fifth round of global mutual evaluations in 2027.
In Filipino: Panukalang Batas ni Lacson, Dadagdagan ang Ngipin ng AMLC vs Korapsyon
In privilege speeches last August and September, Lacson detailed the corruption behind substandard and ghost flood control projects – and how some of those involved gambled away public funds in casinos.
Skip to PDF contentSenate Bill 1557 seeks to introduce the following amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act:
* Designate trusts and virtual asset service providers as covered persons;
* Clarify that the threshold for jewelry dealers and dealers in precious metals and stones pertains to covered transaction reports;
* Inclusion of the respective definitions of transactional and continuing violation of any applicable law or regulation issued by the AMLC or its authorized officer;
* Update and expand the list of offenses as predicate offenses to money laundering;
* Set the threshold for conducting customer due diligence by casinos to P150,000, equivalent to the FATF-prescribed threshold of US$3,000 – with a system of verifying the true identity of their clients;
* Authorize the AMLC to issue a non-court-based subpoena instead of the current court-based one;
* Authorize the AMLC to file petitions for freeze order and civil forfeiture directly or through the Office of the Solicitor General;
* Improve the efficiency of the AMLC in conducting bank inquiries without a court order, similar to the AMLC’s current power to conduct non-court-based bank inquiries in cases related to kidnapping, illegal drug crimes, terrorism, terrorism financing, arson and murder;
* Authorize the AMLC to visit and inspect covered persons to ensure compliance with the AMLC to strengthen the AMLC’s risk-based supervision;
* Authorize the AMLC to administer oaths or affirmations in discharging its mandate;
* Strengthen AMLC’s quasi-judicial functions in handling administrative cases, to support the AMLC’s risk-based supervision;
* Authority to indemnify the AMLC or its staff against costs incurred in “harassment suits”;
* Expanding the coverage of Information Security and Confidentiality Provision against the AMLC and its staff to include all other persons to whom AMLC information was allowed to be shared, to ensure accountability to anyone who gets information from the AMLC;
* General prohibition against the issuance of injunctive relief against the discharge of AMLC’s functions, except by the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court; and
* Authority of the AMLC to suspend transactions as a preemptive measure to let the AMLC and covered persons to hold off any transaction suspected of being related to money laundering, terrorism financing, or any other unlawful activity.
The bill enhances the AMLC’s role as the country’s independent central anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing authority. AMLC shall function as the financial intelligence unit, specialized money laundering and terrorism financing investigation agency, and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulator and supervisor of the Philippines.
Under the bill, the list of covered persons is expanded to include those buying and selling real estate; and lawyers and accountants of covered persons; online gambling operators regardless of their license classification; and virtual asset service providers.
Meanwhile, the list of predicate offenses covered by the AMLA is expanded to include, among others:
* Terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and providing material support to terrorists;
* Violation of the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children, and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials;
* Violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012;
* Violation of the Anti-Dummy Act;
* Violation of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act;
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Panukalang Batas ni Lacson, Dadagdagan ang Ngipin ng AMLC vs Korapsyon
Matapos matuklasan ang masalimuot na krimeng pampinansyal habang iniimbestigahan ang korapsyon sa likod ng mga maanomalyang flood control projects, naghain si Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ng panukalang batas upang higit pang palakasin ang Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Sa Senate Bill 1557, na inihain ni Lacson nitong Miyerkules, magkakaroon ng karagdagang kapangyarihan ang AMLC, palalawakin ang saklaw ng covered persons, at ma-a-update ang listahan ng predicate offenses sa money laundering.
“Recent corruption issues have highlighted the complexities of financial crimes. Updating the AMLA to meet the requirements of the times would also prevent us from being placed in the FATF Greylist again,” ani Lacson sa kanyang panukalang batas, kung saan niyang binanggit na isasailalim ang Pilipinas sa ikalimang round ng FATF global mutual evaluations sa 2027
Sa kanyang mga privilege speech noong Agosto at Setyembre, inilahad ni Lacson ang korapsyon sa likod ng palpak at guniguning flood control projects — kabilang ang paggamit ng ilan sa mga sangkot ng pera ng bayan para magsugal sa mga casino.
Layon ng Senate Bill 1557 na ipatupad ang mga sumusunod na pagbabago sa Anti-Money Laundering Act:
* Tukuyin ang trusts at virtual asset service providers bilang covered persons;
* Ilinaw na ang threshold para sa jewelry dealers at dealers ng precious metals and stones ay tumutukoy sa covered transaction reports;
* Isama ang mga depinisyon ng transactional at continuing violation ng anumang batas o regulasyon na inilabas ng AMLC o ng awtorisadong opisyal nito;
* I-update at palawakin ang listahan ng predicate offenses sa money laundering;
* Itakda ang threshold para sa customer due diligence ng mga casino sa P150,000, alinsunod sa FATF-prescribed threshold na US$3,000 — na may sistema ng beripikasyon ng tunay na identidad ng mga kliyente;
* Pahintulutan ang AMLC na maglabas ng non-court-based subpoena sa halip na court-based;
* Bigyan ng kapangyarihan ang AMLC na magsampa ng freeze order at civil forfeiture petitions nang direkta o sa pamamagitan ng Office of the Solicitor General;
* Pagandahin ang efficiency ng AMLC sa pagkuha ng bank inquiries nang walang court order, katulad ng kapangyarihan nito sa mga kasong kidnapping, illegal drugs, terrorism, terrorism financing, arson, at murder;
* Bigyan ang AMLC ng kapangyarihang bumisita at magsagawa ng inspeksyon sa covered persons para tiyakin ang pagsunod at palakasin ang risk-based supervision;
* Pahintulutan ang AMLC na mag-administer ng oaths o affirmations;
* Palakasin ang quasi-judicial functions ng AMLC sa paghawak ng administrative cases upang suportahan ang risk-based supervision;
* Bigyan ng authority na i-indemnify ang AMLC at staff nito laban sa gastos mula sa “harassment suits”;
* Palawakin ang Information Security and Confidentiality Provision upang isama ang lahat ng taong binigyan ng AMLC information, para matiyak ang accountability;
* Magtakda ng pangkalahatang pagbabawal sa injunctive relief laban sa AMLC, maliban kung ito ay mula sa Court of Appeals o Supreme Court;
* Bigyan ng kapangyarihan ang AMLC na i-suspend ang mga transaksyon bilang preemptive measure kapag may hinalang may kinalaman ang mga ito sa money laundering, terrorism financing, o anumang ilegal na aktibidad.
Pinalalakas ng panukalang batas ang AMLC bilang independent central anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing authority ng bansa — na magsisilbing financial intelligence unit, specialized investigation agency, at regulator-supervisor.
Pinalalawak din ang listahan ng covered persons upang isama ang:
* Mga bumibili at nagbebenta ng real estate;
* Mga abogado at accountant ng covered persons;
* Mga online gambling operators anuman ang uri ng kanilang lisensya;
* Virtual asset service providers.
Samantala, pinalalawak ang listahan ng predicate offenses sa AMLA. Kabilang dito ang:
* Terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, at pagbibigay ng material support sa terrorists;
* Paglabag sa Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children at Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials;
* Paglabag sa Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012;
* Paglabag sa Anti-Dummy Act;
* Paglabag sa Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
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