AFTER President Rodrigo Duterte slammed the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for its alleged lack of cooperation, the records of the bank transactions being requested by the Department of Justice from the agency came out Monday.
In an interview on Tuesday, Aguirre said the bank records were delivered to the DOJ past 3 p.m., after President Duterte's speech in the 80th anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Aguirre expressed dismay against the AMLC for the "delay" of the bank records, which they failed to include in the case of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
"Ang tagal naming hinihintay yan pero hindi dumating yung response ng AMLC samantalang ilang linggo na ang lumipas at yan ay hinihintay namin para maisama dun sa complaint galing NBI. Sa katagalan, hindi na namin nahintay at nagdecide ang NBI na i-file na lang nila at while this case is pending, tsaka na lang nila ipupursue yung kanilang request sa AMLC," Aguirre said.
When asked why he think the release of the response was delayed, Aguirre said, "Kayo magconclude niyan. Alam na ninyo 'yan."
The NBI on Thursday filed a 20-page complaint-affidavit against Senator Leila de Lima and 18 others for graft and drug trafficking.
Just like the first three complaints filed against de Lima, the evidences attached in the complaints of the NBI were also testimonies of the witnesses who appeared in the House hearing.
According to NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin, the NBI believes that the case it filed against de Lima is "airtight" amid the lack of documentary evidence, including the bank transactions that will prove her alleged involvement in illegal drug trade.
The Justice Secretary said Duterte had a reason to call out the AMLC, after it also failed to investigate his bank records during the campaign period.
"May pinanggagaling si Presidente kung bakit sya nagagalit gawa nung diba natatandaan ninyo yung akusasayon ni [Senator Antonio] Trillanes dun sa BPI account nya na meron siyang P211 million," he said.
Duterte on Monday warned the AMLC for its alleged failure to do its duty after "making it difficult" for the DOJ to gather information on the bank transactions that will implicate all the officials involved in the anomalies inside the NBP.
Duterte also questioned why AMLC failed to probe the accusation of Trillanes against him, claiming that he has P211 million in bank deposits.
"You failed miserably. Sinabi na ngang may P200 million, bakit hindi ninyo ako inimbestigahan so that the people would have known… My case was just simple to ask, tell the public how much is my worth in this world. You cannot tell the public because you are protecting somebody who are really into money laundering," Duterte said.
Under the law, AMLC can initiate its own investigations on information of suspicious bank transactions. It can also file a civil forfeiture case and seek an order to freeze bank accounts. (Sunnex)