A Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas briefer on the Anti-Money Laundering

Act of 2001
1. What is money laundering?
Money laundering is an act or series or combination of acts whereby
proceeds of an unlawful activity, whether in cash, property or other assets,
are converted, concealed or disguised to make them appear to have
originated from legitimate sources. One way of laundering money is through
the financial system. Republic Act No. 9160, otherwise known as the AntiMoney Laundering Act of 2001 (AMLA), as amended, defined money
laundering as a scheme whereby proceeds of an unlawful activity are
transacted or attempted to be transacted, thereby making them appear to
have originated from legitimate sources.
2. What has the Philippine government done to curb money
laundering?
The government enacted Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9160 (The Anti-Money
Laundering Act of 2001), which took effect on 17 October 2001. Certain
provisions of AMLA were amended by R.A. No. 9194 (An Act Amending R.A.
9160) effective 23 March 2003. It has also issued the Revised Implementing
Rules and Regulations (RIRR) implementing R.A. No. 9160, as amended.
3. What are considered unlawful activities under the AMLA, as
amended?
There are 14 unlawful activities or predicate crimes covered by the AMLA.
These are, in the order enumerated in the law:

Kidnapping for ransom

Drug offenses
Graft and corrupt practices
Plunder
Robbery and extortion
Jueteng and masiao
Piracy on the high seas
Qualified theft
Swindling
Smuggling
Electronic Commerce crimes
Hijacking, destructive arson and murder, including those perpetrated
against non-combatant persons (terrorist acts)
Securities fraud

Felonies or offenses of a similar nature punishable under penal laws of

other countries
4. How is money laundered through the financial system?
Placement involves initial placement or introduction of the illegal funds
into the financial system. Financial institutions are usually used at this point.
Layering involves a series of financial transactions during which the dirty
money is passed through a series of procedures, putting layer upon layer of
persons and financial activities into the laundering process. Ex. wire
transfers, use of shell corporations, etc.
Integration the money is once again made available to the criminal with
the occupational and geographic origin obscured or concealed. The
laundered funds are now integrated back into the legitimate economy
through the purchase of properties, businesses and other investments.
5. Why is Money Laundering a problem?
Money laundering allows criminals to preserve and enjoy the proceeds of
their crimes, thus providing them with the incentives and the means to
continue their illegal activities. At the same time, it provides them the
opportunity to appear in public like legitimate entrepreneurs. Organized
crime, through money laundering, is known to have the capacity to
destabilize governments and undermine their financial systems. It is thus a
threat to national security.
6. What are the salient features of the law?

It criminalizes money laundering, meaning it makes money laundering

a crime, and provides penalties for its commission, including hefty fines and
imprisonment.
It states clearly the determination of the government to prevent the
Philippines from becoming a haven for money laundering, while
ensuring to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of good bank
accounts.
It creates an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) that is tasked to
oversee the implementation of the law and to act as a financial
intelligence unit to receive and analyze covered and suspicious
transaction reports.
It establishes the rules and the administration process for the
prevention, detection and prosecution of money laundering activities.
It relaxes the bank deposit secrecy laws authorizing the AMLC and the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas access to deposit and investment accounts
in specific circumstances.

It requires covered institutions to report covered and suspicious

transactions and to cooperate with the government in prosecuting
offenders. It also requires them to know their customers and to safely
keep all records of their transactions.
It carries provisions to protect innocent parties by providing penalties
for causing the disclosure to the public of confidential information
contained in the covered and suspicious transactions.
It establishes procedures for international cooperation and assistance
in the apprehension and prosecution of money laundering suspects.
7. What is the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC)? What are its
powers?
The AMLC is the Philippines financial intelligence unit, which is tasked to
implement the AMLA. It is composed of the Governor of the Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas (BSP) as Chairman & the Commissioner of the Insurance
Commission (IC) and the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) as members. The AMLC is authorized to:

Require and receive covered or suspicious transaction reports from

covered institutions.
Issue orders to determine the true identity of the owner of any
monetary instrument or property that is the subject of a covered or
suspicious transaction report, and to request the assistance of a
foreign country if the Council believes it is necessary.
Institute civil forfeiture and all other remedial proceedings through the
Office of the Solicitor General.
Cause the filing of complaints with the Department of Justice or the
Ombudsman for the prosecution of money laundering offenses.
Investigate suspicious transactions, covered transactions deemed
suspicious, money laundering activities and other violations of the
AMLA.
Secure the order of the Court of Appeals to freeze any monetary
instrument or property alleged to be the proceeds of unlawful activity.
Implement such measures as may be necessary and justified to
counteract money laundering.
Receive and take action on any request from foreign countries for
assistance in their own anti-money laundering operations.
Develop educational programs to make the public aware of the
pernicious effects of money laundering and how they can participate in
bringing the offenders to the fold of the law.
Enlist the assistance of any branch of government for the prevention,
detection and investigation of money laundering offenses and the
prosecution of offenders. In this connection, the AMLC can require
intelligence agencies of the government to divulge any information

that will facilitate the work of the Council in going after money
launderers.
Impose administrative sanctions on those who violate the law, and the
rules, regulations, orders and resolutions issued in connection with the
enforcement of the law.
8. What are the covered institutions?

Banks, offshore banking units, quasi-banks, trust entities, non-stock

savings and loan associations, pawnshops, and all other institutions,
including their subsidiaries and affiliates supervised and/or regulated
by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
Insurance companies, holding companies and all other institutions
supervised or regulated by the Insurance Commission (IC)
Securities dealers, brokers, pre-need companies, foreign exchange
corporations, investment houses, trading advisers, as well as other
entities supervised or regulated by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC)
9. What are the Customer Identification Requirements KYC (Know
Your Customer Rule)?
Covered institutions shall:

Establish and record the true identity of their clients based on official
documents.
In case of individual clients, maintain a system of verifying the true
identity of their clients.
In case of corporate clients, require a system verifying their legal
existence and organizational structure, as well as the authority and
identification of all persons purporting to act in their behalf.
Establish appropriate systems and methods based on internationally
compliant standards and adequate internal controls for verifying and
recording the true and full identify of their customers.
10. What are the Record-Keeping Requirements?
All covered institutions shall:

Maintain and safely store all records of all their transactions for five
years from the transaction dates;
Ensure that said records/files contain the full and true identity of the
owners or holders of the accounts involved in the covered transactions
and all other identification documents;
Undertake the necessary adequate measures to ensure the
confidentiality of such files;

Prepare and maintain documentation, in accordance with client

identification requirements, on their customer accounts, relationships
and transactions such that any account, relationship or transaction can
be so reconstructed as to enable the AMLC and/or the courts to
establish an audit trail for money laundering;
Maintain and safely store all records of existing and new accounts and
of new transactions for 5 years from October 17, 2001 or from the
dates of the accounts or transactions, whichever is later;
Anent closed accounts, preserve and safely store the records on
customer identification, account files and business correspondence for
at least 5 years from the dates they were closed;
If a money laundering case based on any record kept by the covered
institution has been filed in court, retain said files until it is confirmed
that the case has been finally resolved or terminated by the court; and
Retain records as originals in such forms as are admissible in court
11. What are covered transactions?
Transaction in cash or other equivalent monetary instruments involving a
total amount in excess of P500,000.00 within one business day.
12. What are suspicious transactions?
Transactions, regardless of the amount involved, where the following
circumstances exist:
a. there is no underlying legal or trade obligation, purpose or economic
justification;
b.the client is not properly identified;
c. the amount involved is not commensurate with the business or financial
capacity of the client;
d. taking into account all known circumstances, it may be perceived that the
clients transaction is structured in order to avoid being the subject of reporting requirements
under the Act;
e. any circumstance relating to the transaction which is observed to deviate
from the profile of the client and/or the clients past transactions with the
covered institution;
f. the transaction is in any way related to an unlawful activity or offense
under this Act that is about to be, is being or has been committed; or
g. any transaction that is similar or analogous to the foregoing.

13. What are the reporting requirements?

Covered institutions shall report to the AMLC all covered transactions and
suspicious transactions within five working days from occurrence thereof,
unless the Supervision Authority (the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the
Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Insurance Commission)
prescribes a longer period not exceeding ten working days. Should a transaction
be determined to be both a covered transaction and a suspicious transaction, it shall be reported
as suspicious transaction.
14. How is reporting done?
The reports on covered and/or suspicious transactions shall be accomplished
in the prescribed formats and submitted within five business days from
occurrence of the transactions in a secured manner to the AMLC in electronic
form, either via diskettes, leased lines, or through internet facilities. The
corresponding hard copy for suspicious transactions shall be sent to AMLC at
the 5th Floor EDPC Building, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Manila,
Philippines. All pawnshops should coordinate with the AMLC thru tel. nos.
523-4421, 521-5662 or 302-3979 on reporting requirements, procedures and
deadlines.
15. Are there sanctions for failure to report covered or suspicious
transactions and non-compliance with R.A. 9160, as amended?
Sanctions/penalties shall be imposed on pawnshops that will fail to comply with
the provisions of R.A. 9160, as amended.
16. What are the sanctions for failure to report covered or
suspicious transactions?
Any person, required to report covered and suspicious transactions failed to
do so will be subjected to penalty of 6 months to 4 years imprisonment or a
fine of not less than P100,000.00 but not more than P500,000.00, or both.
17. Are there confidentiality restrictions on the reporting of covered
transaction and/or suspicious transaction?
When reporting covered transactions or suspicious transactions to the AMLC, covered
institutions and their officers and employees, are prohibited from communicating, directly or
indirectly, in any manner or by any means, to any person, entity, the media, the fact that a
covered or suspicious transaction report was made, the contents thereof, or
any other information in relation thereto. Neither may such reporting be
published or aired in any manner or form by the mass media, electronic mail,
or other similar devices. In case of violation thereof, the concerned officer,

and employee, of the covered institution, or media shall be held criminally

liable.
18. What are the other offenses punishable under the AMLA, as
amended?
a. Failure to keep records is committed by any responsible official or
employee of a covered institution who fails to maintain and safely store all
records of transactions for 5 years from the dates the transactions were
made or when the accounts were closed. The penalty is 6 months to 1 year
imprisonment or a fine of not less than P100,000.00 but not more than
P500,000.00, or both.
b. Malicious reporting is committed by any person who, with malice or in bad
faith, reports or files a completely unwarranted or false information regarding
a money laundering transaction against any person. The penalty is 6 months to 4
years imprisonment and a fine of not less than P100,000.00 but not more than P500,000.00. The
offender is not entitled to the benefits of the Probation Law.
c. Breach of Confidentiality. For this offense, the penalty is 3 to 8 years
imprisonment and a fine of not less than P500,000.00 but not more than P1
million. In case the prohibited information is reported by media, the
responsible reporter, writer, president, publisher, manager, and editor-inchief are held criminally liable.
d. Administrative offenses. The AMLC, after due investigation, can impose
fines from P100,000.00 to P500,000.00 on officers and employees of covered
institutions or any person who violates the provisions of the AMLA, as
amended, the Implementing Rules and Regulations, and orders and
resolutions issued pursuant thereto.

Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 (RA 9160)

AN ACT DEFINING THE CRIME OF MONEY LAUNDERING, PROVIDING
PENALTIES THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Money
Laundering Act of 2001."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the

State to protect and preserve the integrity and confidentiality of bank
accounts and to ensure that the Philippines shall not be used as a money
laundering site for the proceeds of any unlawful activity. Consistent with its
foreign policy, the State shall extend cooperation in transnational
investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in money laundering
activities wherever committed.
SEC. 3. Definitions. For purposes of this Act, the following terms are
hereby defined as follows:
(a) "Covered institution" refers to:
(1) banks, non-banks, quasi-banks, trust entities, and all other institutions
and their subsidiaries and affiliates supervised or regulated by the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP);
(2) insurance companies and all other institutions supervised or regulated by
the Insurance Commission; and
(3) (i) securities dealers, brokers, salesmen, investment houses and other
similar entities managing securities or rendering services as investment
agent, advisor, or consultant, (ii) mutual funds, close-end investment
companies, common trust funds, pre-need companies and other similar
entities, (iii) foreign exchange corporations, money changers, money
payment, remittance, and transfer companies and other similar entities, and
(iv) other entities administering or otherwise dealing in currency,
commodities or financial derivatives based thereon, valuable objects, cash
substitutes and other similar monetary instruments or property supervised
or regulated by Securities and Exchange Commission and Exchange
Commission
(b) "Covered transaction" is a single, series, or combination of transactions
involving a total amount in excess of Four million Philippine pesos
(Php4,000,000.00) or an equivalent amount in foreign currency based on the
prevailing exchange rate within five (5) consecutive banking days except
those between a covered institution and a person who, at the time of the
transaction was a properly identified client and the amount is commensurate
with the business or financial capacity of the client; or those with an
underlying legal or trade obligation, purpose, origin or economic justification.
It likewise refers to a single, series or combination or pattern of unusually
large and complex transactions in excess of Four million Philippine pesos

(Php4,000,000.00) especially cash deposits and investments having no

credible purpose or origin, underlying trade obligation or contract.
(c) "Monetary instrument" refers to:
(1) coins or currency of legal tender of the Philippines, or of any other
country;
(2) drafts, checks and notes;
(3) securities or negotiable instruments, bonds, commercial papers, deposit
certificates, trust certificates, custodial receipts or deposit substitute
instruments, trading orders, transaction tickets and confirmations of sale or
investments and money market instruments; and
(4) other similar instruments where title thereto passes to another by
endorsement, assignment or delivery.
(d) "Offender" refers to any person who commits a money laundering
offense.
(e) "Person" refers to any natural or juridical person.
(f) "Proceeds" refers to an amount derived or realized from an unlawful
activity.
(g) "Supervising Authority" refers to the appropriate supervisory or
regulatory agency, department or office supervising or regulating the
covered institutions enumerated in Section 3(a).
(h) "Transaction" refers to any act establishing any right or obligation or
giving rise to any contractual or legal relationship between the parties
thereto. It also includes any movement of funds by any means with a
covered institution.
(i) "Unlawful activity" refers to any act or omission or series or combination
thereof involving or having relation to the following:
(1) Kidnapping for ransom under Article 267 of Act No. 3815, otherwise
known as the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
(2) Sections 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 of Article Two of Republic Act No. 6425, as
amended, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972;

(3) Section 3 paragraphs B, C, E, G, H and I of Republic Act No. 3019, as

amended; otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act;
(4) Plunder under Republic Act No. 7080, as amended;
(5) Robbery and extortion under Articles 294, 295, 296, 299, 300, 301 and
302 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
(6) Jueteng and Masiao punished as illegal gambling under Presidential
Decree No. 1602;
(7) Piracy on the high seas under the Revised Penal Code, as amended and
Presidential Decree No. 532;
(8) Qualified theft under Article 310 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
(9) Swindling under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
(10) Smuggling under Republic Act Nos. 455 and 1937;
(11) Violations under Republic Act No. 8792, otherwise known as the
Electronic Commerce Act of 2000;
(12) Hijacking and other violations under Republic Act No. 6235; destructive
arson and murder, as defined under the Revised Penal Code, as amended,
including those perpetrated by terrorists against non-combatant persons and
similar targets;
(13) Fraudulent practices and other violations under Republic Act No. 8799,
otherwise known as the Securities Regulation Code of 2000;
(14) Felonies or offenses of a similar nature that are punishable under the
penal laws of other countries.
SEC. 4. Money Laundering Offense. Money laundering is a crime
whereby the proceeds of an unlawful activity are transacted, thereby making
them appear to have originated from legitimate sources. It is committed by
the following:
(a) Any person knowing that any monetary instrument or property
represents, involves, or relates to, the proceeds of any unlawful activity,
transacts or attempts to transact said monetary instrument or property.

(b) Any person knowing that any monetary instrument or property involves
the proceeds of any unlawful activity, performs or fails to perform any act as
a result of which he facilitates the offense of money laundering referred to in
paragraph (a) above.
(c) Any person knowing that any monetary instrument or property is
required under this Act to be disclosed and filed with the Anti-Money
Laundering Council (AMLC), fails to do so.
SEC. 5. Jurisdiction of Money Laundering Cases. The regional trial
courts shall have jurisdiction to try all cases on money laundering. Those
committed by public officers and private persons who are in conspiracy with
such public officers shall be under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
SEC. 6. Prosecution of Money Laundering.
(a) Any person may be charged with and convicted of both the offense of
money laundering and the unlawful activity as herein defined.
(b) Any proceeding relating to the unlawful activity shall be given
precedence over the prosecution of any offense or violation under this Act
without prejudice to the freezing and other remedies provided.
SEC. 7. Creation of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). The
Anti-Money Laundering Council is hereby created and shall be composed of
the Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as chairman, the
Commissioner of the Insurance Commission and the Chairman of the
Securities and Exchange Commission as members. The AMLC shall act
unanimously in the discharge of its functions as defined hereunder:
(1) to require and receive covered transaction reports from covered
institutions;
(2) to issue orders addressed to the appropriate Supervising Authority or the
covered institution to determine the true identity of the owner of any
monetary instrument or property subject of a covered transaction report or
request for assistance from a foreign State, or believed by the Council, on
the basis of substantial evidence, to be, in whole or in part, wherever
located, representing, involving, or related to, directly or indirectly, in any
manner or by any means, the proceeds of an unlawful activity;
(3) to institute civil forfeiture proceedings and all other remedial proceedings
through the Office of the Solicitor General;

(4) to cause the filing of complaints with the Department of Justice or the
Ombudsman for the prosecution of money laundering offenses;
(5) to initiate investigations of covered transactions, money laundering
activities and other violations of this Act;
(6) to freeze any monetary instrument or property alleged to be proceeds of
any unlawful activity;
(7) to implement such measures as may be necessary and justified under
this Act to counteract money laundering;
(8) to receive and take action in respect of, any request from foreign states
for assistance in their own anti-money laundering operations provided in this
Act;
(9) to develop educational programs on the pernicious effects of money
laundering, the methods and techniques used in money laundering, the
viable means of preventing money laundering and the effective ways of
prosecuting and punishing offenders; and
(10) to enlist the assistance of any branch, department, bureau, office,
agency or instrumentality of the government, including government-owned
and -controlled corporations, in undertaking any and all anti-money
laundering operations, which may include the use of its personnel, facilities
and resources for the more resolute prevention, detection and investigation
of money laundering offenses and prosecution of offenders.
SEC. 8. Creation of a Secretariat. The AMLC is hereby authorized to
establish a secretariat to be headed by an Executive Director who shall be
appointed by the Council for a term of five (5) years. He must be a member
of the Philippine Bar, at least thirty-five (35) years of age and of good moral
character, unquestionable integrity and known probity. All members of the
Secretariat must have served for at least five (5) years either in the
Insurance Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and shall hold full-time permanent
positions within the BSP.
SEC. 9. Prevention of Money Laundering; Customer Identification
Requirements and Record Keeping.
(a) Customer Identification. - Covered institutions shall establish and record
the true identity of its clients based on official documents. They shall
maintain a system of verifying the true identity of their clients and, in case

of corporate clients, require a system of verifying their legal existence and

organizational structure, as well as the authority and identification of all
persons purporting to act on their behalf.The provisions of existing laws to
the contrary notwithstanding, anonymous accounts, accounts under fictitious
names, and all other similar accounts shall be absolutely prohibited. Peso
and foreign currency non-checking numbered accounts shall be allowed. The
BSP may conduct annual testing solely limited to the determination of the
existence and true identity of the owners of such accounts.
(b) Record Keeping. - All records of all transactions of covered institutions
shall be maintained and safely stored for five (5) years from the dates of
transactions. With respect to closed accounts, the records on customer
identification, account files and business correspondence, shall be preserved
and safely stored for at least five (5) years from the dates when they were
closed.
(c) Reporting of Covered Transactions. - Covered institutions shall report to
the AMLC all covered transactions within five (5) working days from
occurrence thereof, unless the Supervising Authority concerned prescribes a
longer period not exceeding ten (10) working days.
When reporting covered transactions to the AMLC, covered institutions and
their officers, employees, representatives, agents, advisors, consultants or
associates shall not be deemed to have violated Republic Act No. 1405, as
amended; Republic Act No. 6426, as amended; Republic Act No. 8791 and
other similar laws, but are prohibited from communicating, directly or
indirectly, in any manner or by any means, to any person the fact that a
covered transaction report was made, the contents thereof, or any other
information in relation thereto. In case of violation thereof, the concerned
officer, employee, representative, agent, advisor, consultant or associate of
the covered institution, shall be criminally liable. However, no administrative,
criminal or civil proceedings, shall lie against any person for having made a
covered transaction report in the regular performance of his duties and in
good faith, whether or not such reporting results in any criminal prosecution
under this Act or any other Philippine law.
When reporting covered transactions to the AMLC, covered institutions and
their officers, employees, representatives, agents, advisors, consultants or
associates are prohibited from communicating, directly or indirectly, in any
manner or by any means, to any person, entity, the media, the fact that a
covered transaction report was made, the contents thereof, or any other
information in relation thereto. Neither may such reporting be published or
aired in any manner or form by the mass media, electronic mail, or other
similar devices. In case of violation thereof, the concerned officer, employee,

representative, agent, advisor, consultant or associate of the covered

institution, or media shall be held criminally liable.
SEC. 10. Authority to Freeze. Upon determination that probable cause
exists that any deposit or similar account is in any way related to an
unlawful activity, the AMLC may issue a freeze order, which shall be effective
immediately, on the account for a period not exceeding fifteen (15) days.
Notice to the depositor that his account has been frozen shall be issued
simultaneously with the issuance of the freeze order. The depositor shall
have seventy-two (72) hours upon receipt of the notice to explain why the
freeze order should be lifted. The AMLC has seventy-two (72) hours to
dispose of the depositors explanation. If it fails to act within seventy-two
(72) hours from receipt of the depositors explanation, the freeze order shall
automatically be dissolved. The fifteen (15)-day freeze order of the AMLC
may be extended upon order of the court, provided that the fifteen (15)-day
period shall be tolled pending the courts decision to extend the period.
No court shall issue a temporary restraining order or writ of injunction
against any freeze order issued by the AMLC except the Court of Appeals or
the Supreme Court.
SEC. 11. Authority to Inquire into Bank Deposits. Notwithstanding the
provisions of Republic Act No. 1405, as amended; Republic Act No. 6426, as
amended; Republic Act No. 8791, and other laws, the AMLC may inquire into
or examine any particular deposit or investment with any banking institution
or non-bank financial institution upon order of any competent court in cases
of violation of this Act when it has been established that there is probable
cause that the deposits or investments involved are in any way related to a
money laundering offense: Provided, That this provision shall not apply to
deposits and investments made prior to the effectivity of this Act.
SEC. 12. Forfeiture Provisions.
(a) Civil Forfeiture. - When there is a covered transaction report made, and
the court has, in a petition filed for the purpose ordered seizure of any
monetary instrument or property, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly,
related to said report, the Revised Rules of Court on civil forfeiture shall
apply.
(b) Claim on Forfeited Assets. - Where the court has issued an order of
forfeiture of the monetary instrument or property in a criminal prosecution
for any money laundering offense defined under Section 4 of this Act, the
offender or any other person claiming an interest therein may apply, by
verified petition, for a declaration that the same legitimately belongs to him

and for segregation or exclusion of the monetary instrument or property

corresponding thereto. The verified petition shall be filed with the court
which rendered the judgment of conviction and order of forfeiture, within
fifteen (15) days from the date of the order of forfeiture, in default of which
the said order shall become final and executory. This provision shall apply in
both civil and criminal forfeiture.
(c) Payment in Lieu of Forfeiture. - Where the court has issued an order of
forfeiture of the monetary instrument or property subject of a money
laundering offense defined under Section 4, and said order cannot be
enforced because any particular monetary instrument or property cannot,
with due diligence, be located, or it has been substantially altered,
destroyed, diminished in value or otherwise rendered worthless by any act or
omission, directly or indirectly, attributable to the offender, or it has been
concealed, removed, converted or otherwise transferred to prevent the same
from being found or to avoid forfeiture thereof, or it is located outside the
Philippines or has been placed or brought outside the jurisdiction of the
court, or it has been commingled with other monetary instruments or
property belonging to either the offender himself or a third person or entity,
thereby rendering the same difficult to identify or be segregated for
purposes of forfeiture, the court may, instead of enforcing the order of
forfeiture of the monetary instrument or property or part thereof or interest
therein, accordingly order the convicted offender to pay an amount equal to
the value of said monetary instrument or property. This provision shall apply
in both civil and criminal forfeiture.
SEC. 13. Mutual Assistance among States.
(a) Request for Assistance from a Foreign State. - Where a foreign State
makes a request for assistance in the investigation or prosecution of a
money laundering offense, the AMLC may execute the request or refuse to
execute the same and inform the foreign State of any valid reason for not
executing the request or for delaying the execution thereof. The principles of
mutuality and reciprocity shall, for this purpose, be at all times recognized.
(b) Powers of the AMLC to Act on a Request for Assistance from a Foreign
State. - The AMLC may execute a request for assistance from a foreign State
by: (1) tracking down, freezing, restraining and seizing assets alleged to be
proceeds of any unlawful activity under the procedures laid down in this Act;
(2) giving information needed by the foreign State within the procedures laid
down in this Act; and (3) applying for an order of forfeiture of any monetary
instrument or property in the court: Provided, That the court shall not issue
such an order unless the application is accompanied by an authenticated
copy of the order of a court in the requesting State ordering the forfeiture of

said monetary instrument or property of a person who has been convicted of

a money laundering offense in the requesting State, and a certification or an
affidavit of a competent officer of the requesting State stating that the
conviction and the order of forfeiture are final and that no further appeal lies
in respect of either.
(c) Obtaining Assistance from Foreign States. - The AMLC may make a
request to any foreign State for assistance in (1) tracking down, freezing,
restraining and seizing assets alleged to be proceeds of any unlawful
activity; (2) obtaining information that it needs relating to any covered
transaction, money laundering offense or any other matter directly or
indirectly related thereto; (3) to the extent allowed by the law of the foreign
State, applying with the proper court therein for an order to enter any
premises belonging to or in the possession or control of, any or all of the
persons named in said request, and/or search any or all such persons named
therein and/or remove any document, material or object named in said
request: Provided, That the documents accompanying the request in support
of the application have been duly authenticated in accordance with the
applicable law or regulation of the foreign State; and (4) applying for an
order of forfeiture of any monetary instrument or property in the proper
court in the foreign State: Provided, That the request is accompanied by an
authenticated copy of the order of the regional trial court ordering the
forfeiture of said monetary instrument or property of a convicted offender
and an affidavit of the clerk of court stating that the conviction and the order
of forfeiture are final and that no further appeal lies in respect of either.
(d) Limitations on Requests for Mutual Assistance. - The AMLC may refuse to
comply with any request for assistance where the action sought by the
request contravenes any provision of the Constitution or the execution of a
request is likely to prejudice the national interest of the Philippines unless
there is a treaty between the Philippines and the requesting State relating to
the provision of assistance in relation to money laundering offenses.
(e) Requirements for Requests for Mutual Assistance from Foreign States. A request for mutual assistance from a foreign State must (1) confirm that
an investigation or prosecution is being conducted in respect of a money
launderer named therein or that he has been convicted of any money
laundering offense; (2) state the grounds on which any person is being
investigated or prosecuted for money laundering or the details of his
conviction; (3) give sufficient particulars as to the identity of said person;
(4) give particulars sufficient to identify any covered institution believed to
have any information, document, material or object which may be of
assistance to the investigation or prosecution; (5) ask from the covered
institution concerned any information, document, material or object which

may be of assistance to the investigation or prosecution; (6) specify the

manner in which and to whom said information, document, material or
object obtained pursuant to said request, is to be produced; (7) give all the
particulars necessary for the issuance by the court in the requested State of
the writs, orders or processes needed by the requesting State; and (8)
contain such other information as may assist in the execution of the request.
(f) Authentication of Documents. - For purposes of this Section, a document
is authenticated if the same is signed or certified by a judge, magistrate or
equivalent officer in or of, the requesting State, and authenticated by the
oath or affirmation of a witness or sealed with an official or public seal of a
minister, secretary of State, or officer in or of, the government of the
requesting State, or of the person administering the government or a
department of the requesting territory, protectorate or colony. The certificate
of authentication may also be made by a secretary of the embassy or
legation, consul general, consul, vice consul, consular agent or any officer in
the foreign service of the Philippines stationed in the foreign State in which
the record is kept, and authenticated by the seal of his office.
(g) Extradition. - The Philippines shall negotiate for the inclusion of money
laundering offenses as herein defined among extraditable offenses in all
future treaties.
SEC. 14. Penal Provisions.
(a) Penalties for the Crime of Money Laundering. The penalty of
imprisonment ranging from seven (7) to fourteen (14) years and a fine of
not less than Three million Philippine pesos (Php 3,000,000.00) but not more
than twice the value of the monetary instrument or property involved in the
offense, shall be imposed upon a person convicted under Section 4(a) of this
Act.
The penalty of imprisonment from four (4) to seven (7) years and a fine of
not less than One million five hundred thousand Philippine pesos
(Php1,500,000.00) but not more than Three million Philippine pesos
(Php3,000,000.00), shall be imposed upon a person convicted under Section
4(b) of this Act.
The penalty of imprisonment from six (6) months to four (4) years or a fine
of not less than One hundred thousand Philippine pesos (Php100,000.00) but
not more than Five hundred thousand Philippine pesos (Php500,000.00), or
both, shall be imposed on a person convicted under Section 4(c) of this Act.

(b) Penalties for Failure to Keep Records. The penalty of imprisonment from
six (6) months to one (1) year or a fine of not less than One hundred
thousand Philippine pesos (Php100,000.00) but not more than Five hundred
thousand Philippine pesos (Php500,000.00), or both, shall be imposed on a
person convicted under Section 9(b) of this Act.
(c) Malicious Reporting. Any person who, with malice, or in bad faith, reports
or files a completely unwarranted or false information relative to money
laundering transaction against any person shall be subject to a penalty of six
(6) months to four (4) years imprisonment and a fine of not less than One
hundred thousand Philippine pesos (Php100, 000.00) but not more than Five
hundred thousand Philippine pesos (Php500, 000.00), at the discretion of
the court: Provided, That the offender is not entitled to avail the benefits of
the Probation Law.
If the offender is a corporation, association, partnership or any juridical
person, the penalty shall be imposed upon the responsible officers, as the
case may be, who participated in the commission of the crime or who shall
have knowingly permitted or failed to prevent its commission. If the offender
is a juridical person, the court may suspend or revoke its license. If the
offender is an alien, he shall, in addition to the penalties herein prescribed,
be deported without further proceedings after serving the penalties herein
prescribed. If the offender is a public official or employee, he shall, in
addition to the penalties prescribed herein, suffer perpetual or temporary
absolute disqualification from office, as the case may be.
Any public official or employee who is called upon to testify and refuses to do
the same or purposely fails to testify shall suffer the same penalties
prescribed herein.
(d) Breach of Confidentiality. The punishment of imprisonment ranging from
three (3) to eight (8) years and a fine of not less than Five hundred
thousand Philippine pesos (Php500,000.00) but not more than One million
Philippine pesos (Php1,000,000.00), shall be imposed on a person convicted
for a violation under Section 9(c).
SEC. 15. System of Incentives and Rewards. A system of special
incentives and rewards is hereby established to be given to the appropriate
government agency and its personnel that led and initiated an investigation,
prosecution and conviction of persons involved in the offense penalized in
Section 4 of this Act.

SEC. 16. Prohibitions Against Political Harassment. This Act shall not
be used for political persecution or harassment or as an instrument to
hamper competition in trade and commerce.
No case for money laundering may be filed against and no assets shall be
frozen, attached or forfeited to the prejudice of a candidate for an electoral
office during an election period.
SEC. 17. Restitution. Restitution for any aggrieved party shall be
governed by the provisions of the New Civil Code.
SEC. 18. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within thirty (30) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the
Insurance Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission shall
promulgate the rules and regulations to implement effectively the provisions
of this Act. Said rules and regulations shall be submitted to the
Congressional Oversight Committee for approval.
Covered institutions shall formulate their respective money laundering
prevention programs in accordance with this Act including, but not limited to,
information dissemination on money laundering activities and its prevention,
detection and reporting, and the training of responsible officers and
personnel of covered institutions.
SEC. 19. Congressional Oversight Committee. There is hereby created
a Congressional Oversight Committee composed of seven (7) members from
the Senate and seven (7) members from the House of Representatives. The
members from the Senate shall be appointed by the Senate President based
on the proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein with at
least two (2) Senators representing the minority. The members from the
House of Representatives shall be appointed by the Speaker also based on
proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein with at least
two (2) members representing the minority.
The Oversight Committee shall have the power to promulgate its own rules,
to oversee the implementation of this Act, and to review or revise the
implementing rules issued by the Anti-Money Laundering Council within
thirty (30) days from the promulgation of the said rules.
SEC. 20. Appropriations Clause. The AMLC shall be provided with an
initial appropriation of Twenty-five million Philippine pesos
(Php25,000,000.00) to be drawn from the national government.
Appropriations for the succeeding years shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 21. Separability Clause. If any provision or section of this Act or

the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid,
the other provisions or sections of this Act, and the application of such
provision or section to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected
thereby.
SEC. 22. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations or parts thereof, including the relevant provisions of Republic
Act No. 1405, as amended; Republic Act No. 6426, as amended; Republic
Act No. 8791, as amended and other similar laws, as are inconsistent with
this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 23. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national
newspapers of general circulation
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10365
AN ACT FURTHER STRENGTHENING THE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSEREPUBLIC ACT NO. 9160, OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS THE "ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING ACT OF 2001, AS AMENDED
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Section 3(a) of Republic Act No. 9160, as amended, is hereby amended to
read as follows:
"(a) Covered persons, natural or juridical, refer to:
"(1) banks, non-banks, quasi-banks, trust entities, foreign exchange
dealers, pawnshops, money changers, remittance and transfer companies
and other similar entities and all other persons and their subsidiaries and
affiliates supervised or regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
(BSP);
"(2) insurance companies, pre-need companies and all other persons
supervised or regulated by the Insurance Commission (IC);
"(3) (i) securities dealers, brokers, salesmen, investment houses and other
similar persons managing securities or rendering services as investment
agent, advisor, or consultant, (ii) mutual funds, close-end investment
companies, common trust funds, and other similar persons, and (iii) other

entities administering or otherwise dealing in currency, commodities or

financial derivatives based thereon, valuable objects, cash substitutes and
other similar monetary instruments or property supervised or regulated by
the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC);
"(4) jewelry dealers in precious metals, who, as a business, trade in
precious metals, for transactions in excess of One million pesos
(P1,000,000.00);
"(5) jewelry dealers in precious stones, who, as a business, trade in
precious stones, for transactions in excess of One million pesos
(P1,000,000.00);
"(6) company service providers which, as a business, provide any of the
following services to third parties: (i) acting as a formation agent of
juridical persons; (ii) acting as (or arranging for another person to act as) a
director or corporate secretary of a company, a partner of a partnership, or
a similar position in relation to other juridical persons; (iii) providing a
registered office, business address or accommodation, correspondence or
administrative address for a company, a partnership or any other legal
person or arrangement; and (iv) acting as (or arranging for another person
to act as) a nominee shareholder for another person; and
"(7) persons who provide any of the following services:
(i) managing of client money, securities or other assets;
(ii) management of bank, savings or securities accounts;
(iii) organization of contributions for the creation, operation or
management of companies; and
(iv) creation, operation or management of juridical persons or
arrangements, and buying and selling business entities.
"Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term covered persons shall
exclude lawyers and accountants acting as independent legal
professionals in relation to information concerning their clients or
where disclosure of information would compromise client
confidences or the attorney-client relationship: Provided, That these
lawyers and accountants are authorized to practice in the
Philippines and shall continue to be subject to the provisions of

their respective codes of conduct and/or professional responsibility

or any of its amendments."
Section 2. Section 3(i) of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"(i) Unlawful activity refers to any act or omission or series or combination
thereof involving or having direct relation to the following:
"(1) Kidnapping for ransom under Article 267 of Act No. 3815, otherwise
known as the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
"(2) Sections 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of Republic Act
No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
of 2002;
"(3) Section 3 paragraphs B, C, E, G, H and I of Republic Act No. 3019, as
amended, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act;
"(4) Plunder under Republic Act No. 7080, as amended;
"(5) Robbery and extortion under Articles 294, 295, 296, 299, 300, 301
and 302 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
"(6) Jueteng and Masiao punished as illegal gambling under Presidential
Decree No. 1602;
"(7) Piracy on the high seas under the Revised Penal Code, as amended
and Presidential Decree No. 532;
"(8) Qualified theft under Article 310 of the Revised Penal Code, as
amended;
"(9) Swindling under Article 315 and Other Forms of Swindling under
Article 316 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
"(10) Smuggling under Republic Act Nos. 455 and 1937;
"(11) Violations of Republic Act No. 8792, otherwise known as the
Electronic Commerce Act of 2000;

"(12) Hijacking and other violations under Republic Act No. 6235;
destructive arson and murder, as defined under the Revised Penal Code,
as amended;
"(13) Terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism as defined and
penalized under Sections 3 and 4 of Republic Act No. 9372;
"(14) Financing of terrorism under Section 4 and offenses punishable
under Sections 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Republic Act No. 10168, otherwise known
as the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012:
"(15) Bribery under Articles 210, 211 and 211-A of the Revised Penal
Code, as amended, and Corruption of Public Officers under Article 212 of
the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
"(16) Frauds and Illegal Exactions and Transactions under Articles 213,
214, 215 and 216 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
"(17) Malversation of Public Funds and Property under Articles 217 and
222 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
"(18) Forgeries and Counterfeiting under Articles 163, 166, 167, 168, 169
and 176 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended;
"(19) Violations of Sections 4 to 6 of Republic Act No. 9208, otherwise
known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003;
"(20) Violations of Sections 78 to 79 of Chapter IV, of Presidential Decree
No. 705, otherwise known as the Revised Forestry Code of the
Philippines, as amended;
"(21) Violations of Sections 86 to 106 of Chapter VI, of Republic Act No.
8550, otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998;
"(22) Violations of Sections 101 to 107, and 110 of Republic Act No. 7942,
otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995;
"(23) Violations of Section 27(c), (e), (f), (g) and (i), of Republic Act No.
9147, otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and
Protection Act;

"(24) Violation of Section 7(b) of Republic Act No. 9072, otherwise known
as the National Caves and Cave Resources Management Protection Act;
"(25) Violation of Republic Act No. 6539, otherwise known as the AntiCarnapping Act of 2002, as amended;
"(26) Violations of Sections 1, 3 and 5 of Presidential Decree No. 1866, as
amended, otherwise known as the decree Codifying the Laws on
Illegal/Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, Dealing In, Acquisition or
Disposition of Firearms, Ammunition or Explosives;
"(27) Violation of Presidential Decree No. 1612, otherwise known as the
Anti-Fencing Law;
"(28) Violation of Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as
the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended by
Republic Act No. 10022;
"(29) Violation of Republic Act No. 8293, otherwise known as the
Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines;
"(30) Violation of Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9995, otherwise known as
the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009;
"(31) Violation of Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9775, otherwise known as
the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009;
"(32) Violations of Sections 5, 7, 8, 9, 10(c), (d) and (e), 11, 12 and 14 of
Republic Act No. 7610, otherwise known as the Special Protection of
Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination;
"(33) Fraudulent practices and other violations under Republic Act No.
8799, otherwise known as the Securities Regulation Code of 2000; and
"(34) Felonies or offenses of a similar nature that are punishable under the
penal laws of other countries."
Section 3. Section 3 of the same Act shall have new paragraphs (j) and (k).
"(j) Precious metals shall mean gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium,
ruthenium, iridium and osmium. These include alloys of precious metals, solders
and plating chemicals such as rhodium and palladium plating solutions and

potassium gold cyanide and potassium silver cyanide and silver cyanide in salt
solution.
"(k) Precious stones shall mean diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, opal,
amethyst, beryl, topaz, and garnet that are used in jewelry making, including
those formerly classified as semi-precious stones."
Section 4. Section 4 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 4. Money Laundering Offense. Money laundering is committed by any
person who, knowing that any monetary instrument or property represents,
involves, or relates to the proceeds of any unlawful activity:
"(a) transacts said monetary instrument or property;
"(b) converts, transfers, disposes of, moves, acquires, possesses or uses
said monetary instrument or property;
"(c) conceals or disguises the true nature, source, location, disposition,
movement or ownership of or rights with respect to said monetary
instrument or property;
"(d) attempts or conspires to commit money laundering offenses referred
to in paragraphs (a), (b) or (c);
"(e) aids, abets, assists in or counsels the commission of the money
laundering offenses referred to in paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) above; and
"(f) performs or fails to perform any act as a result of which he facilitates
the offense of money laundering referred to in paragraphs (a), (b) or (c)
above.
"Money laundering is also committed by any covered person who, knowing that a
covered or suspicious transaction is required under this Act to be reported to the
Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), fails to do so."
Section 5. Section 6(a) of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 6. Prosecution of Money Laundering.
"(a) Any person may be charged with and convicted of both the offense of
money laundering and the unlawful activity as herein defined.

"(b) The prosecution of any offense or violation under this Act shall
proceed independently of any proceeding relating to the unlawful activity."
Section 6. Section 7 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 7. Creation of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). The Anti-Money
Laundering Council is hereby created and shall be composed of the Governor of
the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as Chairman, the Commissioner of the Insurance
Commission and the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, as
members. The AMLC shall act unanimously in the discharge of its functions as
defined hereunder:
"x x x
"(6) to apply before the Court of Appeals, ex parte, for the freezing of any
monetary instrument or property alleged to be laundered, proceeds from, or
instrumentalities used in or intended for use in any unlawful activity as defined in
Section 3(i) hereof;
"x x x
"(12) to require the Land Registration Authority and all its Registries of Deeds to
submit to the AMLC, reports on all real estate transactions involving an amount in
excess of Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) within fifteen (15) days
from the date of registration of the transaction, in a form to be prescribed by the
AMLC. The AMLC may also require the Land Registration Authority and all its
Registries of Deeds to submit copies of relevant documents of all real estate
transactions."
Section 7. Section 9(c), paragraphs 1 and 4 of the same Act are hereby amended to
read as follows:
"SEC. 9. Prevention of Money Laundering; Customer Identification Requirements
and Record Keeping.
"(a) x x x
"(b) x x x
"(c) Reporting of Covered and Suspicious Transactions. Covered persons shall
report to the AMLC all covered transactions and suspicious transactions within

five (5) working days from occurrence thereof, unless the AMLC prescribes a
different period not exceeding fifteen (15) working days.
"Lawyers and accountants acting as independent legal professionals are not
required to report covered and suspicious transactions if the relevant information
was obtained in circumstances where they are subject to professional secrecy or
legal professional privilege.
"x x x
"x x x
"When reporting covered or suspicious transactions to the AMLC, covered
persons and their officers and employees are prohibited from communicating,
directly or indirectly, in any manner or by any means, to any person or entity, the
media, the fact that a covered or suspicious transaction has been reported or is
about to be reported, the contents of the report, or any other information in
relation thereto. Neither may such reporting be published or aired in any manner
or form by the mass media", electronic mail, or other similar devices. In case of
violation thereof, the concerned officer and employee of the covered person and
media shall be held criminally liable."
Section 8. Section 10 of the same Act, as amended by Republic Act No. 10167, is
hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 10. Freezing of Monetary Instrument or Property. Upon a verified ex
parte petition by the AMLC and after determination that probable cause exists
that any monetary instrument or property is in any way related to an unlawful
activity as defined in Section 3(i) hereof, the Court of Appeals may issue a freeze
order which shall be effective immediately, and which shall not exceed six (6)
months depending upon the circumstances of the case: Provided, That if there is
no case filed against a person whose account has been frozen within the period
determined by the court, the freeze order shall be deemed ipso
facto lifted:Provided, further, That this new rule shall not apply to pending cases
in the courts. In any case, the court should act on the petition to freeze within
twenty-four (24) hours from filing of the petition. If the application is filed a day
before a nonworking day, the computation of the twenty-four (24)-hour period
shall exclude the nonworking days.

"A person whose account has been frozen may file a motion to lift the freeze
order and the court must resolve this motion before the expiration of the freeze
order.
"No court shall issue a temporary restraining order or a writ of injunction against
any freeze order, except the Supreme Court."
Section 9. Section 12 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"(a) Civil Forfeiture. Upon determination by the AMLC that probable cause
exists that any monetary instrument or property is in any way related to an
unlawful activity as defined in Section 3(i) or a money laundering offense under
Section 4 hereof, the AMLC shall file with the appropriate court through the Office
of the Solicitor General, a verified ex parte petition for forfeiture, and the Rules of
Court on Civil Forfeiture shall apply.
"The forfeiture shall include those other monetary instrument or property having
an equivalent value to that of the monetary instrument or property found to be
related in any way to an unlawful activity or a money laundering offense, when
with due diligence, the former cannot be located, or it has been substantially
altered, destroyed, diminished in value or otherwise rendered worthless by any
act or omission, or it has been concealed, removed, converted, or otherwise
transferred, or it is located outside the Philippines or has been placed or brought
outside the jurisdiction of the court, or it has been commingled with other
monetary instrument or property belonging to either the offender himself or a
third person or entity, thereby rendering the same difficult to identify or be
segregated for purposes of forfeiture.
"(b) Claim on Forfeited Assets. Where the court has issued an order of
forfeiture of the monetary instrument or property in a criminal prosecution for any
money laundering offense defined under Section 4 of this Act, the offender or any
other person claiming an interest therein may apply, by verified petition, for a
declaration that the same legitimately belongs to him and for segregation or
exclusion of the monetary instrument or property corresponding thereto. The
verified petition shall be filed with the court which rendered the judgment of
forfeiture, within fifteen (15) days from the date of the finality of the order of
forfeiture, in default of which the said order shall become final and executor. This
provision shall apply in both civil and criminal forfeiture.
"(c) Payment in Lieu of Forfeiture. Where the court has issued an order of
forfeiture of the monetary instrument or property subject of a money laundering

offense defined under Section 4, and said order cannot be enforced because any
particular monetary instrument or property cannot, with due diligence, be located,
or it has been substantially altered, destroyed, diminished in value or otherwise
rendered worthless by any act or omission, directly or indirectly, attributable to
the offender, or it has been concealed, removed, converted, or otherwise
transferred to prevent the same from being found or to avoid forfeiture thereof, or
it is located outside the Philippines or has been placed or brought outside the
jurisdiction of the court, or it has been commingled with other monetary
instruments or property belonging to either the offender himself or a third person
or entity, thereby rendering the same difficult to identify or be segregated for
purposes of forfeiture, the court may, instead of enforcing the order of forfeiture
of the monetary instrument or property or part thereof or interest therein,
accordingly order the convicted offender to pay an amount equal to the value of
said monetary instrument or property. This provision shall apply in both civil and
criminal forfeiture."
Section 10. Section 14 of the same Act, as amended, is hereby further amended to
read as follows:
"SEC. 14. Penal Provisions. (a) Penalties for the Crime of Money Laundering.
The penalty of imprisonment ranging from seven (7) to fourteen (14) years and a
fine of not less than Three million Philippine pesos (Php3,000,000.00) but not
more than twice the value of the monetary instrument or property involved in the
offense, shall be imposed upon a person convicted under Section 4(a), (b), (c)
and (d) of this Act.
"The penalty of imprisonment from four (4) to seven (7) years and a fine of not
less than One million five hundred thousand Philippine pesos (Php1,500,000.00)
but not more than Three million Philippine pesos (Php3,000,000.00), shall be
imposed upon a person convicted under Section 4(e) and (f) of this Act.
"The penalty of imprisonment from six (6) months to four (4) years or a fine of not
less than One hundred thousand Philippine pesos (Php100,000.00) but not more
than Five hundred thousand Philippine pesos (Php500,000.00), or both, shall be
imposed on a person convicted under the last paragraph of Section 4 of this Act.
"(b) x x x
"(c) x x x
"(d) x x x

"(e) The penalty of imprisonment ranging from four (4) to seven (7) years and a
fine corresponding to not more than two hundred percent (200%) of the value of
the monetary instrument or property laundered shall be imposed upon the
covered person, its directors, officers or pesonnel who knowingly participated in
the commission of the crime of money laundering.
"(f) Imposition of Administrative Sanctions. The imposition of the administrative
sanctions shall be without prejudice to the filing of criminal charges against the
persons responsible for the violation.
"After due notice and hearing, the AMLC shall, at its discretion, impose sanctions,
including monetary penalties, warning or reprimand, upon any covered person,
its directors, officers, employees or any other person for the violation of this Act,
its implementing rules and regulations, or for failure or refusal to comply with
AMLC orders, resolutions and other issuances. Such monetary penalties shall be
in amounts as may be determined by the AMLC to be appropriate, which shall
not be more than Five hundred thousand Philippine pesos (P500,000.00) per
violation.1wphi1
"The AMLC may promulgate rules on fines and penalties taking into
consideration the attendant circumstances, such as the nature and gravity of the
violation or irregularity.
"(g) The provision of this law shall not be construed or implemented in a manner
that will discriminate against certain customer types, such as politically-exposed
persons, as well as their relatives, or against a certain religion, race or ethnic
origin, or such other attributes or profiles when used as the only basis to deny
these persons access to the services provided by the covered persons.
Whenever a bank, or quasi-bank, financial institution or whenever any person or
entity commits said discriminatory act, the person or persons responsible for
such violation shall be subject to sanctions as may be deemed appropriate by
their respective regulators."
Section 11. New sections are hereby inserted after Section 19 of the same Act, as
amended, to read as follows:
"SEC. 20. Non-intervention in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Operations.
Nothing contained in this Act nor in related antecedent laws or existing
agreements shall be construed to allow the AMLC to participate in any manner in
the operations of the BIR."

"SEC. 21. The authority to inquire into or examine the main account and the
related accounts shall comply with the requirements of Article III, Sections 2 and
3 of the 1987 Constitution, which are hereby incorporated by reference. Likewise,
the constitutional injunction against ex post facto laws and bills of attainder shall
be respected in the implementation of this Act."
Section 12. The succeeding sections are hereby renumbered accordingly.
Section 13. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other
provisions hereof.
Section 14. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances or portions
thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.
Section 15. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.