AFP coordinating with probe of military men in dirty money smuggling

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday (March 3) said it was coordinating with investigation of reports that some military men had acted as escorts of two syndicates that smuggled in at least $370 million in dirty money to launder this in the Philippines.

“We don’t have direct information right now if for that period,” said AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo.

“So allow us to check, coordinate with the department concerned to gather sufficient information,” Arevalo told reporters.

The Department of Finance (DOF), citing a report of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, said two groups were able to sneak into the country at least $370 million of dirty money. The smuggling went on since 2019 with the help of military, police and airport personnel acting as escorts.

Guerrero’s report said one of the groups was known as “Rodriguez” while the other was “Chinese.”

The Rodriguez group allegedly brought in $200 million through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport between July 2019 and January 2020. The Chinese group was able to slip $167.97 million in dirty money past authorities at the airport from December 2019 to January 2020.

The Guerrero report confirmed Sen. Richard Gordon’s earlier information that some Chinese nationals have smuggled in hundreds of millions of dollars in dirty money to launder this in the Philippines.

“For the record, we’re telling you that we will not allow that our personnel will get involved in that kind of activity,” said Arevalo.

He said, though, that it was “too early” for the military to comment on the veracity of the report about military men’s involvement in the smuggling of dirty money.

Edited by TSB