MANILA – Sen. Richard Gordon’s Blue Ribbon Committee is set to investigate today the billions of pesos-worth of cash that were being brought in by Chinese nationals to the Philippines.
Gordon said large sums of cash, which were declared as gambling and investment funds, was a red flag for possible money laundering.
“I am not being xenophobic. I am just trying to express some concern on why there is no seeming regulation, no seeming effort to try and locate these people,” Gordon said. “If they are bringing in money, hinanap ba natin ‘yung pera kung saan dinala?”
According to Gordon, the money could also be used for crime, citing prostitution dens with foreign women caught in several police raids making it more alarming considering these sums entered the country legally.
He cited information from the Bureau of Customs, saying from September last year to Feb., 47 individuals arrived in the Philippines carrying $447 million or P22.7 billion.
Gordon also presented a list of those individuals – mostly Chinese but also included some Filipinos. Chinese nationals brought in $210 million or P10.6 billion, equivalent to 46.98% of the total amount during this period.
Gordon has also questioned the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s silence as he hopes AMLC executive director Mel Racela along with officials from the Finance, Justice, Labor, Customs and Immigration agencies, will join Thursday’s hearing.
Meanwhile, Opposition senator Franklin Drilon suggested shutting down POGO operations in the country, just like the crackdown of gaming operators in Cambodia, recently.
“Obviously this is happening because we have POGOs in our country today. If we don’t allow POGOs, these incidents would not have happened,” said the Ilonggo senator. “Shoud we continue with this policy of allowing overseas gaming operations in the country with all the illicit activities that come with it?”
Gordon answered saying he is open to the idea but he wants to investigate the people behind the operations first.
“I’d like to see what are the syndicates behind this, how much taxes we’re collecting. I want to know who is not paying their taxes and who is not enforcing the law,” said Gordon./PN
