Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday reaffirmed that properties linked to the flood control corruption scandal continue to be under legal freeze.
He called on the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to focus on safeguarding public funds rather than protecting banking sector interests.
The announcement follows the AMLC’s filing of three civil forfeiture petitions before the Manila Regional Trial Court, targeting assets connected to individuals and entities implicated in the alleged kickback scheme.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano explained that courts issued asset preservation orders to secure these properties, ensuring that expired freeze orders do not allow access to the funds.
“We are facing one of the biggest scandals in history. Even if the freeze orders lapse, as long as there is an asset preservation order linked to the civil forfeiture cases, the respondents cannot touch their money,” Clavano said.
He added that Ombudsman investigators took advantage of the freeze period to examine bank accounts and trace potential illegal transactions.
Remulla emphasized the importance of the AMLC’s cooperation in tracing illicit funds, warning that withholding information could impede the prosecution of corrupt officials. “I want to remind the AMLC to fulfill its mandate. Their role is not to protect the banking industry, but to uphold the law and prevent misuse of public funds,” he said.
The Ombudsman’s office stressed that it will take legal action if the AMLC fails to comply with information requests, underscoring the agency’s central role in supporting anti-corruption investigations.
