AMLC still defiant despite Duterte’s warning
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) remains uncooperative despite threats made by President Rodrigo Duterte, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said on Monday.
Duterte called the AMLC as “part of the garbage that he resent” for failing to do its mandate.
AMLC is mandated to implement the provisions of Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering act of 2001. Its primary duty is to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of bank accounts and ensure that the Philippines shall not be used as a money laundering site for the proceeds of any unlawful activity.
“The Secretary of Justice now said you are hard to deal with. You better go to the Secretary of Justice or I will go to you,” Duterte warned in a speech during the anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) last week.
Barely two hours after Duterte issued the warning, Aguirre said the AMLC has turned over bank documents to the DOJ.
However, during Monday’s press conference, Aguirre said the documents were about the bank records of the generals that Duterte has linked into the illegal drug trade.
Aguirre said the request was made last September and the documents sent to them has a letter with a hand written date.
“It means it is already ready but for some reason they have not submitted it to us until the President made that speech,” Aguirre said.
He added that after meeting with the AMLC officials, he also learned that the NBI has a request before the AMLC as early as January 2015 in connection with the drug trade inside Bilibid. The request was made by the NBI a month after then Justice Secretary Leila De Lima conducted the first of a series of drug raid inside Bilibid.
The Justice Chief said that after the meeting, they gave bank records related to the NBI’s 2015 request but still incomplete.
“Their actions borders on criminal negligence,” Aguirre told reporters.
When asked what the AMLC’s commitment after their meeting, Aguirre said, AMLC officials only committed to meet with him often.
