STATEMENT OF SEN. LEILA M. DE LIMA ON THE PROPOSED MEASURE PROHIBITING BSP FROM SUPERVISING THE AMLC OPERATIONS

The AMLC as envisioned also aims to protect the banking industry from being used for money-laundering activities. This is the reason why the BSP chair is the ex-officio head of the council. Removing the BSP chair as head and replacing him with another official not connected with the regulation of the banking industry misses this objective of the AMLC.

At any rate, the charges of political persecution and partiality in favor of some politicians as grounds for the proposed changes are not even proven facts, but merely the opinion of Congw. Arroyo. It doesnt mean they are true. The AMLC has always proven to be professional and apolitical, especially during the time of PNoy. It is actually now that it is being pressured by Duterte and his favored patrons like Congw. Arroyo to relinquish its apolitical nature and let itself be used as their tool for the persecution of their perceived enemies, including myself. This can be considered as part of the Administration's attempt to coopt the AMLC into being used as just another agency for political persecution, like the House, the DOJ, the NBI, and other agencies that were already transformed into vendetta institutions by Duterte with his allies like Arroyo.