MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday slammed the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for its renewed attempts to seize his bank assets despite specific prohibitions in the law.
The AMLC filed a petition for civil forfeiture on Nov. 12 against the Vice President, his son Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, and 62 other individuals and corporations.
The petition comes a day after the lapse of the original six-month freeze order on the Binays’ assets, filed on May 11.
The Manila regional trial court issued a 20-day provisional asset protection order on Nov. 13 on several accounts, including one account in the name of the Vice President.
Binay’s spokesman Rico Quicho said the order is not a determination of the truth on the allegations against the Vice President.
“The Vice President would dispute all allegations against him during the first hearing set by the RTC Manila (today),” he said.
After saying the Vice President had billions deposited in 242 accounts, the AMLC urged the Manila court to freeze only one account with a deposit of P1.7 million, Quicho said.
He said this is an admission that it had no solid evidence against Binay.
“The Vice President’s opponents would not stop in harassing him and his family even if they don’t have evidence against them and despite the law prohibiting AMLC to file petition seeking an asset protection order,” Quicho said.
“This is a clear abuse of power on the part of AMLC, which sole agenda is to destroy the administration’s political opponents,” he said.
Quicho said the AMLC’s latest petition is a blatant violation of Republic Act 1379 or The Act Declaring Forfeiture in Favor of the State Any Property Found To Have Been Unlawfully Acquired By Any Public Officer or Employee and Providing for the Proceedings Therefore.
The law prohibits the filing of civil forfeiture cases against public officials “within one year before any general election or within three months before any special election.”
The prohibition was explicitly provided in the law to deter political harassment, Quicho pointed out.
In July, Binay filed a P200-million civil suit for damages against AMLC officials Amanda Tetangco Jr., Emmanuel Dooc, Teresita Herbosa, Julia Abad and nine others, including Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, for their alleged orchestrated effort to “maliciously destroy his character and reputation” in violation of the Civil Code of the Philippines before the Makati RTC.
The Vice President had scored AMLC for its misleading reports that made it appear that he owns all of the 242 bank accounts, investments, and insurance policies the council has been investigating.
Binay, however, claimed that only five of these accounts were under his name.
AMLC also reported that Binay’s salary as government official was his only source of income.
The Vice President had repeatedly said he had income and savings before he joined the government.
Quicho lamented the present AMLC officials allowed it to be part of the demolition team formed to discredit the Vice President and prevent him from continuing his presidential bid.