Philippine Senator Pushes for Inquiry into Banks’ Role in Pogo Funding

Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has proposed Senate Resolution 1193 to investigate the failure of local banks to detect POGO-related suspicious transactions tied to criminal activities, following the case of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.

Gatchalian, in his resolution, highlighted bank transactions involving Guo’s companies, which amounted to hundreds of millions of pesos and allegedly funded the construction of a POGO hub in Bamban. The amount far exceeded the financial capacity reflected in the companies’ financial statements.

He pointed out a significant increase in cash flows, check disbursements, and transactions involving Guo’s accounts, peaking in 2020—an anomaly given that the COVID-19 pandemic had severely disrupted businesses and economies worldwide.

Gatchalian noted that despite these large transactions, the banking system failed to flag them as suspicious. He raised concerns about the banks’ inability to report such dubious activities, questioning the effectiveness of their internal controls and procedures for identifying and reporting suspicious behaviour.

The senator emphasised that financial institutions are responsible for analysing financial data to detect transactions that may indicate money laundering.

These circumstances, according to Gatchalian, raise doubts about the adequacy of current Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regulations and guidelines for banks and financial institutions.

Gatchalian also pointed out that the Philippines remains on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The country must improve its AML/CTF efforts, including prosecuting money laundering and terrorism financing, addressing beneficial ownership information and strengthening cross-border declaration measures.

While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed all government agencies to meet the necessary requirements to remove the country from the FATF grey list, Gatchalian stressed that private sector compliance is equally crucial to strengthening the country’s AML/CFT regime. This includes increased adherence to obligations, such as reporting covered and suspicious transactions.