Buenaventura ng AMLC, pinayagang tumestigo tungkol sa bank records nina Sara Duterte at kaniyang asawa

Pinayagan ng Senate impeachment court nitong Lunes si Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, na tumestigo tungkol sa mga transaksiyon sa bangko nina Vice President Sara Duterte at kaniyang mister na si Manases Carpio.

Ayon kay Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero, hindi lubos na protektado ng mga umiiral na batas ang confidentiality ng mga transaksiyon sa bangko dahil hindi naman isang passive institution ang AMLC.

“Section 8A [of the Anti-Money Laundering law] protects AMLC information against leaks, indiscriminate publication, and other unauthorized disclosure. It cannot be construed to disable the AMLC from performing the very investigative and litigation functions that Congress simultaneously preserved, or from complying with the lawful and particularized subpoenas subject to judicial safeguards,” ayon kay Escudero.

“Thus, while Republic v. Sandiganbayan [Supreme Court decision] did not interpret the subsequently enacted Section 8A, the reliance on that circumstance is unavailing. The decision remains authoritative as to the unchanged Section 9C, and its central reasoning remains applicable. The AMLC is not a passive repository, and confidentiality cannot be invoked in a manner that defeats its statutory mandate,” dagdag niya.

Bago ang pasya ng presiding officer, tinutulan ni defense counsel Mark Vinluan sa pagharap ni Buenaventura bilang testigo sa impeachment trial.

Bagama't iginiit niyang walang itinatago ang Bise Presidente, binigyang-diin ni Vinluan na kailangang dumaan muna sa tamang proseso ng beripikasyon ang mga datos alinsunod sa batas at hindi dapat ilahad sa publiko sa paraang malisyoso at may layuning gawing pulitikal ang usapin.

Binanggit niya ang Section 8-A ng Anti-Money Laundering Act, na isinama sa batas sa pamamagitan ng Republic Act No. 11521. Nakasaad dito na ang AMLC at Secretariat nito na, “shall securely protect information received or processed and shall not reveal, in any manner, any information known to them by reason of their office.”

Ipinunto naman ni Escudero na sumasang-ayon ang korte na dapat isaalang-alang ang Section 8-A, ngunit hindi nangangahulugan na ang mga ulat ng AMLC na, “have thereby become absolutely immune from compulsory process.”

Ayon pa kay Escudero, ipinagbabawal ng Section 9-C sa mga covered person at kanilang mga opisyal at empleyado na ibunyag na may isinagawang covered o suspicious transaction report, pati ang nilalaman nito o kaugnay na impormasyon.

Ngunit sa kaso ng Republic v. Sandiganbayan, sinabi ni Escudero na nagpasiya ang Supreme Court na ang naturang pagbabawal ay para sa mga reporting institution at hindi mismo sa AMLC.

“Section 8-A is the new provision directly governing the AMLC and its Secretariat. It requires them to protect information received or processed and prohibits its unauthorized revelation. But its second paragraph expressly directs the AMLC to establish rules governing information exchange and dissemination, as well as access to such information,” paliwanag ng presiding officer.

“The provision, therefore, regulates the manner and conditions of disclosure. It does not command absolute silence under every circumstance,” dagdag niya.

Dahil dito, sinabi ni Escudero na maaaring tukuyin, patunayan, at ipaliwanag ni Buenaventura ang ulat na tinukoy sa subpoena.

“This ruling does not authorize unrestricted public disclosure. Testimony shall be confined only to relevant matters and may, when necessary, be received in camera as the case may be. Either party may still object on grounds of authentication, relevance, hearsay, completeness, accuracy, admissibility, or evidentiary weight or the presence or absence of personal knowledge,” anang presiding officer.

Ayon sa mandato ng AMLC na nakasaad sa website nito, layunin nitong protektahan at panatilihin ang integridad ng financial system ng Pilipinas ““through financial intelligence and investigation, prosecution of money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing activities, ensuring compliance of covered persons with anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and proliferation-financing laws, and extension of international cooperation.

Bago nito, sinabi ni Buenaventura na alinsunod sa batas ang kaniyang testimonya at pagsusumite ng mga ulat ng covered at suspicious transactions ng AMLC na may kinalaman sa Bise Presidente at sa asawa nito.

"Under our law. there's a provision Section 8A wherein we are supposed to ensure confidentiality over documents. However, under Section 8A paragraph 2, it is also stated that the AMLC can promulgate the rules regarding the handling [of information] to ensure that the AMLC and the secretariat will not violate that confidentiality part," tugon ni Buenaventura sa tanong ni Escudero.

"Part of our internal rules is of course, we have to comply with the orders of competent authorities like the courts po and of course we recognize this Honorable [Senate impeachment] court as having the sole power to try and decide impeachment. This [disclosure] is, your honor, pursuant to the coercive and compulsory process of this court," dagdag niya.

Tinukoy ng opisyal ng AMLC ang probisyon sa Konstitusyon na nagsasaad na ang Senado, “shall have the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment.”

"We are in compliance with our internal rules the law and the order of this court," ani Buenaventura. — FRJ GMA News