Rody slams AMLC for inaction on drug money laundering

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte lashed out yesterday at the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for what he said was its failure to stop the laundering of drug money.

He said a person was able to set up a corporation for the purpose of washing money from the illegal drug trade.

“I’d like to address myself to the central bank guys and the AMLC,” he said.  “I’d like to warn you, to avoid a confrontation between us, central bank people… I will call for you and you have to answer so many questions to me.”

“You choose, either we cooperate in this government as a Republic to protect and preserve our people or make it hard for us (and) I will make it hard for you.”

Duterte was at the 80th founding anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday.

He said the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are looking into the laundering activities of the person that he had mentioned.

“There is a guy here now, just presently...  We’re digging into the records of the case and he has… not really a fake corporation but a set-up just to launder, to wash the money,” he said. “To date, we have the accounting of P5.1 billion. One family.”

Duterte said a senator accused him during the campaign period of having P200 million deposited in a bank.

“You know when I was a candidate, there was a guy, a senator who’s so stupid (to claim) that I had P211 million in bank deposit,” he said. “And I was just curious, if I had that money, why did you (AMLC) not initiate an investigation?” 

Duterte said had AMLC investigated him, the electorate would have known the truth.

“You cannot tell the public because you are protecting somebody, those who are really into money laundering,” he said.

“My case was simple: tell the public how much is my worth in this world… And the secretary of justice now says that you are hard to deal with. You better go to the secretary of justice or I will go to you.  

“You failed miserably. Why didn’t you investigate me? So the people would have known. You’re a part of the garbage which I resent to this day. And do not give me a reason to have a confrontation. 

“There are billions stashed there in the banks. It is being washed or just being kept there in the meantime. Go to the secretary of justice, the AMLC guys, explain to us in public or I will do the explaining for you. Choose.” 

He was able to clean Davao City of the illegal drugs trade and other criminal activities because he was strict in implementing the law, Duterte said.

An NBI official told The STAR yesterday that the AMLC and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas did not cooperate in information-gathering about money-laundering.

“In our recent cases, they did not cooperate with us,” the official said. “We have to establish where the money went so the case will be strengthened.” 

 Duterte criticizes Aquino

Duterte said yesterday former president Benigno Aquino III did not attend to the drug problem during his term.

“Maybe he did not realize the gravity of the situation because he simply did not know or never attempted to know how much was the scale, the dimension of three million (Filipinos addicted to illegal drugs),” he said

Duterte said he was criticized for the deaths of more than 3,000 Filipinos who either put up a fight against raiding police teams or were killed by vigilantes.

“They’d call upon me and say, ‘Duterte, why don’t you just rehabilitate them?” he said.

“Place them in houses where you can treat them, maybe detoxify their disease and come out with a better record of human rights.’ That is correct – if you have the money.”  

Duterte said the government does not have money left for the rehabilitation efforts.

“And so I am now operating on a budget that was prepared the other year by president Aquino,” he said. “Half of the budget is gone.  

“So we have here three million drug addicts, all potential criminals…at three million, the average hit is P200 per day. In one month, that is P6,000 times 13 million that is P18 billion a month.” 

Duterte said multiplying the amount by the number of months, the country now has a P216-billion industry per year.

“Now, the portals of the national government have been opened to the creeping influence of drugs,” he said. “You must remember that Leila, Lilia or whatever the name is, was the secretary of justice herself and she allowed the drug industry to take place.” 

Mulcting policemen

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa warned yesterday police officers mulcting money from  civilians and businessmen in the guise of anti-drug operations that he will break their necks.

“I am appealing to the public, please help us police our ranks,” he said.

Dela Rosa said several businessmen and ordinary citizens have sought his help on the illegal activities of these police officers.

These police officers threaten to include the names of their victims in the police drug lists unless they pay up, he added.

Others ask money from their victims by assuring them that their names would be removed from the police drug watch list, Dela Rosa said.

Anti-kidnapping crusader Teresita Ang-See said a number of Chinese businessmen have been victimized by the police racket.

Dela Rosa said most of the time, a police officer or a group of policemen call on their victim to demand huge amount of cash in exchange for not naming her or him as a big-time illegal drug dealer.

“If your are being threatened by our scalawag colleagues because there are still a lot of them, please help us,” he appealed.

Dela Rosa warned these rogue police officers that if he catches them doing these illegal activities, he will be unforgiving.

“I will break your neck, you fools. I am giving out this warning,” Dela Rosa said, adding the PNP is more than willing to help suspected drug lords and drug peddlers or pushers if they are continuously being victimized by rogue cops.

‘No manufactured evidence’     

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has denied manufacturing evidence in the drug charges against Sen. Leila de Lima.

In an interview yesterday, Aguirre turned the tables on De Lima and challenged her to present evidence to prove such allegations.

“Her standard defense is that the DOJ is manufacturing evidence against her… yet she has not presented any iota of evidence to prove her accusation,” he said.

Aguirre said the DOJ is just performing its mandate in investigating De Lima, and that she should be the first to understand such duty being a former justice secretary.

“The DOJ is just performing its function of investigating criminal complaints against her and her co-accused,” he said. “We are considering her cases as ordinary complaints.”