I belong to what I believe is the majority of Filipinos who will not be directly affected if the proposed amendments to the AMLA are enacted (unless the threshold is lowered to something like P5,000, but even then, they can go ahead and investigate). But I certainly am among the majority of Filipinos who will be adversely affected if and when sanctions are imposed on us as a consequence of an unacceptable AMLA.
There must be something in the air conditioning system at the Senate building, some chemical or other in the air over there that has addled the brains of our "locoslators". Many of them–from both sides of the political fence–are simply too full of themselves, so puffed up by self-importance that they cannot go beyond high-sounding media statements and posturing. Others seem to have no concept of welfare of the people, of the greater good; hey, some of them have no concept of what they’re supposed to be doing!
What really are our "locoslators" claiming to protect? Our sovereignty? National pride? Wave those bright banners when our people have decent jobs and enough food on the table, when we have the capability to protect our people, when rule of law is respected, when businessmen local and foreign can enter into contracts and expect such to be honored, not have the rug pulled out from under them because some malakas or maganda has his/her eye on the deal.
Don’t start spouting lofty phrases like constitutionality and nationalism and fairness and due process when what you’re really seeking to uphold and protect are your–and your friends’–substantial bank accounts here and abroad, fattened by what certainly qualify as "suspicious transactions". So why do you want to protect smugglers, pyramid scammers, illegal recruiters and the like? Of course we all know why the "locoslators" don’t want graft and corruption included in the "suspicious" list. Naku po, the AMLC will have no time for other cases if it pursues all the graft and corruption cases!
Okay, so they’ll change the wording and maybe rearrange a comma or two so that those "locoslators" can save face and claim victory; sige na. But let’s remember who held us hostage and toyed with our welfare, and hit them where they’ll hurt–in the next elections.