THE Anti-Money Laundering Council has not started any investigation into the bank accounts of five police generals implicated by President Rodrigo Duterte into illegal drug operations.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II lamented that the AMLC can seek the freezing of the bank accounts of the generals, while they are being probed but such action was not taken by the agency.
“They [AMLC] can apply for a freeze order. I don’t know why they did not,” Aguirre told reporters.
Under the Anti-Money Laundering Law, AMLC is mandated to investigate on its own initiative suspicious transactions and covered transactions. It is also allowed by law to apply before the Court of Appeals an ex parte (an application of one party alone) petition for the freezing of any monetary instrument or property alleged laundered or proceeds from unlawful activities.
The AMLC earlier forwarded to the National Bureau of Investigation bank documents related to the five police generals after Duterte gave them an ultimatum.
Aguirre said the NBI made the request to the AMLC as early as September 19 but only gave the documents after Duterte’s warning two months after.
He noted the date on the cover letter of the document was handwritten.
“It means it [the document] is already ready but for some reason they [AMLC] have not submitted it to us until the President made that speech,” Aguirre complained.
On the NBI’s 22-month-old request to the AMLC, Aguirre said AMLC has complied but only partially.
“We are still waiting for them to respond,” he said.
After Duterte issued the warning, AMLC met with Aguirre and committed to meet with him on a regular basis but after their meeting immediately after Duterte’s warning, Aguirre said the AMLC has yet to meet with him again.
Last Tuesday, the Justice Secretary revealed that he is already studying possibility of filing an obstruction of justice case against AMLC members. He also said that two of the ranking AMLC officials–the second to the Executive Director and its Chief investigator are fraternity brothers of Senator Leila De Lima.
The AMLC is housed within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. It is chaired by BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., its members include heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Insurance Commission. Its executive director is Julia Bacay-Abad.