By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – A measure that will help expose the ill-gotten wealth of government officials and employees – including the President – by excluding them from the Bank Secrecy Law will be one of senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson’s priorities should he return to the Senate.
“Una kong panukalang batas at ito lagi kong unang fina-file sa bawa’t Kongreso, ang waiver ng rights sa Bank Secrecy Act ng lahat ng government officials, from the lowest clerk or janitor all the way up to the President (The first bill I will file, as I have done in the past Congresses, will be on the waiver for the rights to Bank Secrecy Act for all government officials, from the lowest clerk or janitor all the way up to the President),” he said during a press conference before the Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas’ proclamation rally in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on Tuesday.
In an earlier statement, Lacson said this measure will allow the early detection of questionable bank transactions like in the case of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, wherein billions of pesos were reportedly transferred to her accounts from 2018 to 2024.
The last version of Lacson’s bill was Senate Bill No. 26, which was filed in 2019 (18th Congress).
It strips public servants of the “protection” from the Bank Secrecy Act, which prohibits disclosure or inquiry into bank deposits as a general rule.
Lacson pointed out that the Bank Secrecy Act’s provision prohibiting the disclosure of or inquiry to bank deposits has frequently been exploited to “hamper and stall investigations” of government officials and employees suspected of enriching themselves while in public office.
Also covered by the bill are members of the uniformed services, as well as of government-owned and controlled corporations.
In the 2016 elections, Lacson topped the senatorial race in Laoag City, and placed second in Ilocos Norte province. (PNA)
