Tag: AMLC

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Lacson Bill Arms AMLC to Counter Evolving Corruption Schemes

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

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Lacson Intervention Leads to Restoration of AMLC’s 2026 Budget

Following the intervention by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, the Senate finance committee has restored the proposed budget of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for 2026 to P333 million.

Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian informed Lacson that the AMLC’s budget was restored to P333 million in the Senate version of the budget bill, from the P170.161 million allotted for it in the National Expenditure Program.

“We granted the request of AMLC upon your recommendation during the budget deliberations. Remember, you strongly recommended to increase the budget of AMLC considering what’s happening right now. So the new budget of AMLC is P333 million,” Gatchalian said, after Lacson inquired about the restoration of the AMLC’s budget during the deliberation of the agency’s 2026 budget Monday.

“Thank you, Mr. President,” Lacson replied.

In Filipino: Sa Tulong ni Lacson, ‘Restored’ ang 2026 Budget ng AMLC

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Lacson to Help Augment AMLC’s ‘Crumb-Sized’ Budget for 2026

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson will help the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and at least three other agencies get the funding they need to fight money laundering and corruption.

At the hearing of the Committee on Finance tackling the proposed budgets of the four agencies, Lacson sought the capacity building particularly of the AMLC, even as he lamented they are getting “crumbs” in the NEP.

“The agencies in front of us, they are recipients of ‘crumbs’ in the budget, at least in the NEP,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino at the hearing that also tackled the proposed 2026 budgets of the Anti-Red Tape Authority, Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations and Philippine Competition Commission.

In Filipino: Lacson, Tutulong Palakasin ang ‘Latak’ na Badyet ng AMLC para sa 2026

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Ping Lacson Bill Strengthens, Modernizes PH Measure vs Espionage and Offenses vs National Security

A bill by Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson will finally strengthen and modernize the Philippines’ outdated laws – one dating back to 1941 – against espionage and other offenses against national security.

Lacson’s Senate Bill 33, the “New Anti-Espionage Act,” increases penalties for such offenses, and covers new technologies, as well as activities by foreign jurisdictions that can interfere with our government affairs.

It also allows the surveillance of suspects and interception and recording of communications after court order from the Court of Appeals.

“Recent technological advancements, along with the potential involvement of foreign jurisdictions in our country’s political and governmental affairs, have exposed significant gaps in Commonwealth Act No. 616 and Article 117 of the Revised Penal Code. These shortcomings underscore the urgent need to amend and modernize these laws,” Lacson said in his bill.

“This measure aims to strengthen the law by updating the penalties for the punishable acts. Particularly, the measure imposes higher penalties upon erring public officials, employees and foreigners. The measure also provides for the extraterritorial application of the law. It likewise penalizes activities by foreign jurisdictions that could interfere with the political and government affairs of the country,” he added.

In Filipino: Panukala ni Ping Lacson, Palalakasin at Ia-Update ang Batas vs Pag-Eespiya at Paglabag sa Pambasang Seguridad

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On the Designation of the CPP-NPA as a Terrorist Group and Its Reported Call to Resume Peace Talks

It is called resource denial operations and rightly so, in order to tighten the noose on the financial and logistical needs of the CPP-NPA.

That being said, the non-traditional left-hand/right-hand approach must still be applied by welcoming back to the fold their members, making sure that they will be treated justly and ensuring their personal safety – the same way the earlier surrenderees who appeared before our Senate red-tagging hearings a few weeks ago are being treated.

Having the momentum with the series of successful operations against the CPP-NPA who are now officially a “designated terrorist group” by virtue of the authority vested by the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 upon the Anti-Terrorism Council, I doubt if the security sector will recommend the resumption of centralized peace talks to the President, more so after they validated the information that after all, peace talks are just part and parcel of their long-drawn strategy to consolidate their forces and stop the momentum gained by the security forces.

While we should not give up on peace, we should learn from the experiences of the past. It is better to have localized peace efforts, with guidance and support from the national government.

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