THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday denounced his opponents’ efforts to tarnish the reputation of the Binay family by using the Anti-Money Laundering Council in filing a civil forfeiture case against his family.
“Despite a legal prohibition, the Anti-Money Laundering Council intends to file a civil forfeiture case against Vice President Binay and his family,” Binay spokesman Rico Quicho said.
“We have been informed that a last-ditch effort will be made to again harass and tarnish the good name of the vice president and his family using yet again another government agency, the AMLC,” Quicho said.
“This involves the filing of a civil forfeiture despite a clear legal prohibition against such acts during the election period. This provision was included in the Anti-Money Laundering Act precisely to prevent abusing the powers of AMLC for political harassment.”
Binay on Thursday also said the lack of access to clean and potable water by millions of Filipino households is a sign of worsening poverty in the country.
He said that as of 2010, 16 percent of Filipino households lacked access to clean and potable water, noting the government data that 1,353 villages from 455 municipalities still had no access to clean water.
“Lack of clean and potable water is a sign of worsening poverty,” Binay said in his speech during the regional convention of the Southern Tagalog Association of Water Districts.
Section 16 of the AMLA says “No case for money laundering may be filed against and no assets shall be frozen, attached or forfeited to the prejudice of a candidate for an electoral office during an election period.”
“The AMLC already has a reputation for being a highly partisan government agency directed to attack and discredit opponents even if it contravenes its own rules and existing laws protecting the rights of individuals,” Quicho said.
“Once again, the rule of law and Constitutional rights will be discarded and ignored just to prevent the vice president from pursuing his dream to address poverty, hunger and unemployment, and introduce efficiency, competence and compassion in government.
“And once again, the vice president will be more than ready to face his accusers in a court of law.” Vito Barcelo