AMLC: Manila court orders forfeiture of funds linked to terrorism financing

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A Manila court has ordered the forfeiture of funds linked to terrorism financing, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said on Monday.

The AMLC said the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 18 ordered the forfeiture of P217,165 previously held in a bank account belonging to Abdulpatta Escalon Abubakar, who has been linked to terrorism financing activities.

“The successful forfeiture demonstrates the indispensable role of financial intelligence and asset recovery measures in disrupting terrorism financing,” the AMLC said in a statement.

“By depriving terrorist facilitators of access to funds and financial services, authorities can impede their ability to plan, support and sustain terrorist activities,"

The AMLC said that the forfeiture supposedly underscored the importance of financial investigations in the country’s efforts to combat terrorism financing.

According to the AMLC, law enforcement authorities had reported that Abubakar facilitated the transfer of funds from Saudi Arabia to the Philippines through the wives and relatives of members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

It added that Abubakar had been designated as a terrorist under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 for allegedly acting as a facilitator for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The AMLC also said international authorities had identified Abubakar as a key facilitator who transferred US$50,000 to Isnilon Hapilon, a former ASG leader.

The funds were believed to have been used to acquire weapons and ammunition. Abubakar was also linked to efforts to procure materials for manufacturing improvised explosive devices, the AMLC said. — MCG, GMA News

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