PGMA's Speech during the Signing Ceremony of the Amended Anti-Money Laundering Law |
Ceremonial Hall, Malacanang (07 March 2003) |
| THANK YOU, MR.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY. SENATE PRESIDENT DRILON; SPEAKER DE VENECIA; SENATOR MAGSAYSAY; SENATOR JAWORSKI; CONGRESSMAN NEPTALI GONZALES; CONGRESSMAN ESCUDERO; CONGRESSMAN LOPEZ; SECRETARY CAMACHO; GOVERNOR BUENAVENTURA; THE HONORABLE AND HARDWORKING MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VARIOUS OFW AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS; MY CO-WORKERS IN GOVERNMENT; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: WE ARE HERE THIS MORNING HEAVING A COLLECTIVE SIGH OF ON THE OCCASION OF THE ENACTMENT OF R.A. NO. 9194. ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LEGISLATION IS ABOUT REFORM AND THE STRENGTHENING OF DEMOCRACY, AND GETTING HARD-EARNED MONEY SEAMLESSLY INTO THE HANDS OF FILIPINO FAMILIES AT HOME. MANY OF OUR LEGISLATORS REFER TO THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION AS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THEY HAVE HAD TO PASS. THE DEBATES, EVEN THE BLAME-TOSSING THAT ATTENDED ITS PASSAGE WERE FIERCE AND AS EMOTIONAL AS ANY DISCUSSION ON A NATIONAL ISSUE COULD GET. ON THE ONE HAND, IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE FOR SOME OF OUR LEADERS TO COME TO THE DEFENSE OF FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRATIC PRECEPTS THEY FEARED WERE THREATENED BY INTERNATIONAL PRESCRIPTIONS ON ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING. AMONG THEM, THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY, THE RULE ON DUE PROCESS AND NEED FOR VIGILANCE AGAINST POLITICAL ABUSE AND PERSECUTION. ON THE OTHER, THE SOCIETY OF CIVILIZED NATIONS HAVE BEGUN THE RESOLUTE CONVERGENCE OF WILL, RESOURCES AND LAWS TO COMBAT DOMESTIC AND TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINALITY. THE PHILIPPINES IS IN CONTROL OF ITS DESTINY. WITHOUT RA. 9194, WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FUTURE FOR THE PHILIPPINES? WE COULD HAVE COMPLAINED ALL WE WANTED, BUT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN FOR THE BETTER? WE ARE IN-CHARGE OF OUR DESTINY. WE HAVE SHOWN THAT WE HAVE IT WITHIN OUR POWER TO CRAFT LAWS THAT HELP OUR PEOPLE, STOP TERRORISM AND LINK US TO THE 21ST CENTURY AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. BUT WE ALSO HAD IT WITHIN OUR POWER TO BE ON THE SIDELINES, IF WE WANTED TO, AND GO BACK IN TIME THEN CEDE RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS BY NOT FULFILLING WHAT THE WORLD WAS EXPECTING ON US. WHAT CONGRESS HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IS A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN OUR LEGAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL BIASES ON THE ONE HAND AND THE NEED TO ADOPT AND COMPLY WITH THE RULES OF THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL WORLD. I CONGRATULATE THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FOR THEIR WISDOM, PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE AND PATRIOTIC SENSE OF DUTY. I THINK I MISSED MENTIONING CONGRESSMAN ESCUDERO AND CONGRESSMAN LOCSIN -- TO THEM AND TO THE REST OF THOSE IN THIS TABLE AND TO THE REST OF THOSE IN THE FRONT ROW -- GO OUR SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS. I'D ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE AUTHOR, THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF THE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW, SENATOR PANFILO LACSON. AND MY SPECIAL THANKS GO TO THE SENATE PRESIDENT, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, THE CHAIRMEN OF THE SPONSORING COMMITTEES, AND OF COURSE, THE MEMBERS OF THE BICAM PANEL FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND FORBEARANCE. I SHOULD EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION ALSO TO OUR LEGISLATORS AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF FATF MEMBER-COUNTRIES FOR ACCEPTING MY INVITATION TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER. THAT INTERACTION HIGHLIGHTED THE POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO THE GENUINE CONCERNS OF LEGISLATORS AND POLICYMAKERS. AND IT HELPED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ABOUT FILIPINOS DOING WHAT IS IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS, AND NOT WHAT IS MERELY IN THE INTEREST OF FOREIGNERS. THE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING ISSUE IS A POTENT ONE. THE PHILIPPINES HAD TO TAKE CONTROL OF ITS DESTINY AND DO THE RIGHT THING. THE ISSUE IS ONE OF PROGRESS, MODERNIZATION, THE PROTECTION OF OUR OFWS AND THEIR FAMILIES. IN SUMMARY, ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LEGISLATION IS CENTRAL TO REFORM. WITH OUR AMENDED AMLA, WE SHALL MOVE CLOSER TO A BANKING REGIME THAT WILL INSPIRE GREATER CONFIDENCE, TRUSTWORTHINESS AND RELIABILITY, AND THEREFORE GREATER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, INVESTMENT AND RESILIENCY. IN THIS SENSE, WE SHOULDN'T CONSIDER THE PASSAGE OF AMLA II, AS I MIGHT CALL IT, AS A PASSIVE AND BEGRUDGING COMPLIANCE OF THE RULES OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM, BUT RATHER AN ACTIVE PURSUIT OF OUR NATIONAL INTEREST. THIS ISSUE HAS GENERATED CONSIDERABLE RANCOR, TENSION AND DIVISION AMONG SOME SEGMENTS OF OUR SOCIETY AND CERTAINLY AMONG MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ITSELF. BUT OUR SENSE OF RELIEF, SENSE OF GRATITUDE AND SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS SHOULD NOW BE SHARED BY ALL. AND LET THESE POSITIVE SENSES NOW VANISH THE RECRIMINATION AND DISCORD AMONG US. LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TIME TO FORGE EVEN GREATER UNITY NOT ONLY AMONG OUR LEADERS, BUT AMONG OUR PEOPLE. AND WITH WISER AND MORE ENLIGHTENED EYES NOW CONFRONT OTHER CRITICAL PROBLEMS THAT LIE BEFORE US. WE ALL CONDEMN IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS THE BOMBING IN DAVAO AS AN ACT OF SHEER COWARDICE. TODAY, TERRORISM IS EVERYWHERE -- THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE, JAPAN, KOREA, INDONESIA AND SO ON. TODAY, IT PICKS NO SPECIFIC COUNTRY BUT CHOOSES ALL COUNTRIES, RICH OR POOR. THE NEW, BOLDER FORM OF TERRORISM IS NOT INSURMOUNTABLE. BUT IT REQUIRES A PARADIGM SHIFT -- AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE WAY WE CONCEPTUALIZE AND APPROACH THE PROBLEM OF TERRORISM. THE PARADIGM SHIFT IS THAT WITH THE BOLDER FACE OF TERRORISM, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT MEASURES ARE NO LONGER SUFFICIENT. NOW, THE COOPERATION AND VIGILANCE OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THE PHILIPPINES SAFE FOR BOTH CITIZENS AND TOURISTS. THIS PARADIGM SHIFT REQUIRES THE NEED TO ACTIVATE THE ENTIRE CITIZENRY. THIS PARADIGM SHIFT REQUIRES THE NEED TO ACTIVATE ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS. THIS PARADIGM SHIFT REQUIRES THE COOPERATION AND COORDINATION BETWEEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THIS PARADIGM SHIFT REQUIRES THE NEED FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS, AND NOT JUST THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, TO FORMULATE AND UNDERTAKE BOTH PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES -- TO PREPARE, PREVENT, MITIGATE AND REHABILITATE. FOR THE IMMEDIATE AND SPECIFIC MEASURES: I'M DIRECTING THE DILG, THE AFP, THE PNP AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM TO FORMULATE SECURITY MEASURES TO MONITOR SECURITY THREATS, PREVENT TERRORIST ATTACKS. I'M DIRECTING ALL GOVERNMENT UNITS, DOWN TO THE BARANGAY LEVEL, TO ORGANIZE AND CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHES TO MONITOR SUSPICIOUS PERSONS, ACTIONS AND MATERIALS. I'M DIRECTING THE PNP TO ORGANIZE AND DEPLOY NATIONWIDE COMMUNITY-BASED REACTION UNITS. I'M DIRECTING ALL LGUS AND THE PNP TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY MOBILIZE AND FULLY UTILIZE ALL COMMUNITY RESOURCES. I'M DIRECTING ALL LGUS AND THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE TO INSTITUTE AN EFFECTIVE REWARD SYSTEM. EXTEND SECURITY VIGILANCE, NOT JUST MAJOR BUT ALL PUBLIC PLACES. THE PHILIPPINES REMAINS SAFE. THE DAVAOEÑOS, WITH THE HELP OF THEIR LOCAL LEADERS, CAN OVERCOME THIS TRAGEDY. DAVAO HAS PROVEN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP UNDER MAYOR DUTERTE. DAVAO, IN THE PAST, HAS OVERCOME WORSE PROBLEMS, NOTABLY, IF YOU REMEMBER THE PEACE AND ORDER PROBLEMS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE COMMUNIST INSURGENCY, MANY YEARS AGO. DAVAO OVERCAME ITS PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTIVE LOCAL LEADERSHIP AND INDISPENSABLE COMMUNITY COOPERATION. REMEMBER, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ALSA MMASA. REMEMBER THE PEARL FARM INCIDENT. DAVAO OVERCAME ITS PROBLEMS TO BECOME THE BEST LIVABLE CITY IN THE PHILIPPINES AND THE 17TH BEST LIVABLE CITY IN ASIA. DAVAO'S EXAMPLE OF OVERCOMING ITS PAST PROBLEMS IS A MODEL TO MEET THE BOLDER FACE OF TERRORISM: AN ACTIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT, A VIGILANT CITIZENRY, AND COOPERATION AND COORDINATION BETWEEN THE LGU AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. ONCE AGAIN, WE COMMISERATE WITH THE VICTIMS OF THE DAVAO BOMBING. JUSTICE WILL BE DONE. DOMESTIC TERRORISM WILL STOP. AND AS I THANK CONGRESS FOR THE AMLA, NOW I ASK CONGRESS TO HELP ME ACHIEVE JUSTICE AND STOP TERRORISM. I ASK CONGRESS TO HELP ME NOW PASS THE ANTI-TERRORISM ACT. AND TO ACHIEVE JUSTICE, I ASK CONGRESS TO HELP ME IN PASSING THE JUDICIAL REFORMS. AND BECAUSE THERE IS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FIGHTING TERRORISM AND FIGHTING POVERTY, II ASK CONGRESS TO HELP ME BY PASSING THE USE OF FARMLAND AS COLLATERAL. YOU HAVE DONE GREAT WORK, AND THERE IS STILL GREAT WORK TO BE DONE. AND IF WE CONTINUE AND EVEN IMPROVE ON THE UNITY WE FINALLY ACHIEVED, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS CONGRESS REMEMBERED AS A CONGRESS OF GREAT REFORM. THANK YOU. |