Promoting anti-money laundering investigations and prosecution of wildlife crime in the Philippines

Due to the number of environmental crimes, the amount of proceeds from crime and the lack of financial investigations, the Philippine government classifies money laundering through environmental crime as a high risk.

Although numerous environmental cases – ranging from illegal mining and fishing to wildlife trafficking and forestry law violations – have been brought before Philippine courts over the years, there is no data to indicate that any money laundering investigations have been conducted in connection with these environmental crimes.

Therefore, the skills acquired during the recent financial investigation training in Quezon City are critical to the country's efforts to increase interest, motivation and capacity to investigate the nexus between financial and environmental crimes and to prosecute those involved.

The training was organised jointly with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the country's financial intelligence agency, and the AML Research Centre Asia Pacific (ARCAP) Inc.

Building on the “Follow the Money” approach, the training focused on providing practical skills and knowledge to government officials, including law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judicial officials, and financial sector representatives.

Participants discussed financial investigation techniques, talked about asset recovery, seizure and confiscation, and introduced suspicious transaction reporting.

In response to calls for increased interest, motivation and capacity to investigate, arrest and prosecute perpetrators of these crimes, policies to implement anti-money laundering regulations and “follow the money” principles to combat wildlife trafficking will be developed.

“We can bring stronger evidence against the smugglers by looking at wildlife crime from a financial investigation perspective. We will be able to track the flow of money, identify key figures, uncover money laundering schemes and collect better evidence,” said Jewel Padullon of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources' regional office.

Since 61% of participants had no prior training in financial investigation, this was an opportunity for closer coordination and collaboration between AMLC, key Philippine government agencies and the private sector to improve the investigation and prosecution of wildlife criminals through the use of financial investigation techniques.

“We welcome more opportunities like this training to enable the private sector to adapt our financial investigation regulations. It gives us the opportunity to discuss new technologies and methods used by criminals and to work on the front lines with the government to achieve convictions in wildlife crimes,” said Atty. Ronald Pasamba, legal counsel of GCash, one of the leading financial technology companies in the Philippines.

The event was attended by a total of 47 government officials from the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), DENR Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Service, DENR regional offices, Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police – Maritime Group, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Service, Anti Money Laundering Council Secretariat, and Department of Justice – National Prosecution Service.

Eight participating private sector representatives came from money service companies, namely the Philippine Association of Foreign Exchange Dealers, Money Changers and Remittance Agents, Inc. (PAFERA), PJ Lhuillier Inc., BEACON, EEC International Phil Corp. LBC Express and GCash.