President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday assailed the executives of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and told them to resign for “contributing to the corruption of this country.”
Duterte gave the warning to the officials for allegedly being uncooperative with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which is investigating the activities of alleged drug criminals.
“I am warning again the Central Bank for the second time. It was not until I burdened at them during the NBI, National Bureau of Investigation anniversary, and I was there. And I was told by the director [that up to now], there’s no report of this AMLC,” he said in his speech during the ceremonial signing of the 2017 national budget at Malacañang.
“You know, I’m going to charge all of you there, criminally. I’ll count one to three, and if you don’t resign, I will treat you as a drug addict,” he added.
The President cited how the AMLC submitted “very late” the documents requested by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“You know, you, you are—you are contributing to the corruption of this country. You have reported to the NBI and submitted it very late. Yet you do not have the assessment report…,” he said.
Duterte went on blasting AMLC officials, saying they were all corrupt.
“What about our money? You are paid to do your job. If you cannot do your job, get out from that office,” he said.
The President said Bangko Sentral Governor Amado Tetangco is nearing retirement, warning corrupt Central Bank officials: “Better prepare there ‘cause I’ll give you a whack.”
“You are all, you are all corrupt and serving master. You are not supposed to engage in politics,” he added.
In a chance interview, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said President Duterte was referring only to three officials in the AMLC.
“He was referring to the people implementing the law. That’s the office of the executive director, then his deputy, and the head of investigation,” he told reporters.
He added that two of the officials were “brothers” of Senator Leila de Lima.
“One is an Attorney Salido. The one I cannot remember the name. I’m sure he was referring to that, because up to now they’re stonewalling… not submitting even an assessment, an analysis of the account. What was given to us was just statement of accounts like those in the banks,” he said.
Aguirre said they can use those but they really needed the accounts of De Lima and the suspected drug lords./ac/rga