Negative media, gossip not lone basis for STR, says witness

MANILA, Philippines – Suspicious transactions are reported not solely due to negative media or gossip, Metrobank Anti-Money Laundering Division Head Atty. Niña Aguilar told the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday.

Aguilar said this during interjections from Senator-judges Risa Hontiveros and Francis Pangilinan, who asked about the basis for suspicious transaction reports (STRs) transmitted to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“For suspicious transaction reporting based on negative media, we generally file a suspicious transaction report if we have identified our customer as the subject of negative media and conduct further review on the transactions,” Aguilar said.

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She also shared that STRs require internal approvals, including her own, before they are submitted to the AMLC.

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READ: AMLC exec stumped by gap in Sara Duterte SALN vs bank records

On Tuesday, an AMLC official bared some STRs under the accounts of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio.

Remarks under the STRs that tagged the transaction as malversation noted details from news reports.

Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano then compared using news reports as STRs without independent investigation to spreading gossip.

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In his own interjection, Pangilinan pressed further on the thoroughness of reporting suspicious transactions.

“So binubusisi niyo nang husto dahil you’re careful na hindi rin tama na magfile ng STR kung mali, o dahil walang basis o dahil news report lang?” Pangilinan asked.

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(“So you’re scrutinizing it carefully because you’re careful that it’s not right to file an STR if it’s wrong, or because there’s no basis or because it’s just a news report?”)

Aguilar answered in the affirmative.

Pangilinan added: “So hindi lang base sa tsismis?”

(“So it’s not just based on gossip?”)

“Yes, your honor,” Aguilar replied.

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Aguilar testified before the court on the bank accounts of Duterte, Carpio, and their children. /gsg