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MANILA – Senators mocked a Malacañang document that imposed “conditions” on Wednesday before certifying as urgent a bill that would strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering Law (AMLA).
In the Palacio document sent to the office of Senate President Vicente Sotto III on December 15, President Rodrigo Duterte said that he would certify Senate Bill No. 1945 as urgent only if the chamber retained the following provisions:
- proposed reduction of the threshold for tax crimes to P20 million
- retention of current notification threshold for real estate transactions
- Granting of the additional investigative powers requested to the Anti-Money Laundering Council as reflected in the House Bill No. 7904.
The certification cannot “qualify as a certification letter for the Senate because it violates the separation of powers,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said in plenary session.
“In fact, there are times when the executive department whispers its wishes about certain laws, but it is never written in black and white,” he said.
“This is the first time it’s been done,” he said.
The chair of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, Senator Grace Poe, gave a similar opinion, saying that the executive branch should not affect the power of the legislature to make laws.
“By putting those conditions … It basically tells us to pass that version alone if we really want this bill to qualify for that certification, so in short, it dictates what provision we must pass,” he said.
(In short, they are dictating to us what provisions must be passed.)
“I am trying to be very diplomatic here, but I will always say this: that I will accept the amendments that I think our colleagues have decided are what is fair and what is right, and what will be effective in this law,” she said.
Because the Senate found the certification invalid, the bill proposing amendments to the AMLA cannot be passed on the second and third reading within one day of session.
Congress will adjourn on December 19 and is expected to pass the bill in final reading next year.
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