EXPECT the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to further step-up its effort to go after syndicates laundering drug money in the country under the Marcos administration.

According to PNP-DEG director, Brigadier General Randy Q. Peralta, they are completely partnering with the AMLC to pursue anti-money laundering cases against big-time drug personalities nationwide.

He said that so far, they already have 76 personnel who are now known as Deputized AMLC Financial Investigators (DAFIs) given by the AMLC the authority to help pursue anti-money laundering cases.

“We now have policemen in our unit who are responsible in the financial investigation and filing of applications for bank inquiry, petitions for freeze orders, civil and criminal forfeitures, and criminal complaints on money laundering,” said the PNP-DEG director.

According to Peralta, thru their collaboration with the AMLC headed by Executive Director Mel Georgie B. Racela, they have successfully asked the court to issue freeze orders on 30 bank accounts containing a total of P48,639,921.83 believed to be proceeds from illegal drug activities.

The official said they also have succeeded in paving the way for the issuance of

Asset Preservation Orders against the properties of arrested drug personalities.

As of present, he added that they are still investigating 119 bank accounts in relation to the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.

The AMLC has partnered with the PNP to stop money-laundering and terrorist financing in the country.

PNP Officer-in-Charge, Lieutenant General Vicente D. Danao Jr. has instructed the PNP-DEG to continue working with the AMLC and other concerned agencies to stop terrorist financing in the country with the move aimed at having the country removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s “gray list.”

Last February, the PNP and AMLC signed a memorandum of agreement to solidify coordination and boost efforts in enforcing provisions of RA 10168.

This was in addition to the past individual memorandums of agreement entered into by AMLC with various PNP offices and units such as the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Intelligence Group to beef up the campaign against terrorist financing.

The agreement between the PNP and AMLC resulted in the establishment of a center at Camp Crame which will serve as an information-sharing hub between the two agencies.

The AMLC recently deputized the PNP-DEG to help them go after ill-gotten properties of drug lords and their ilk in the country. The PNP-DEG headquarters houses the Joint PNP-AMLC Fusion Center in Camp Crame.

Another significant move in the government’s war against big-time drug personalities is the decision of the AMLC to deputize the PNP-DEG in its effort to attack the financial structure of drug trafficking and money-laundering groups in the country.

Peralta said they consider their AMLC deputation as an effective tool to recover drug money including those being laundered in The Philippines.

However, to seize suspected ill-gotten wealth and other properties of known drug personalities, the PNP-DEG will be fully working with the AMLC to obtain a warrant from the Court of Appeals.

Peralta explained that asset forfeiture means the government taking of property that has been illegally used or acquired without compensating the owner as soon as there is evidence that he acquired the properties thru his illegal drug activities.

Assets that are subject to forfeiture include motor vehicles, real estate, houses or anything of value used to commit a drug crime or bought with drug proceeds.

Officials said the move not only takes the profit of crime away but also removes crime instrumentalities. At the same time, it is used to deter crime, dismantle drug trafficking syndicates and money-laundering groups; weaken criminal enterprise and most importantly, punish drug financiers, smugglers and their ilk.

According to the PNP-DEG director, his men got their authority from the AMLC following a three-day deputation workshop spearheaded by Racela.

With their new authority, Peralta said that they will be able to further cripple the activities of big-time drug traffickers and other violators of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

“We are currently fully working with the AMLC to establish the money trail of all our big-time targets in order to arrest them and eventually forfeit their assets in favor of the government,” he said.

The AMLC–deputized PNP-DEG operatives now form part of their tracker teams dedicated to work hand-in-hand with AMLC officials in conducting financial investigation and if warranted, the filing of civil forfeiture cases and freeze order.