By Fernan Angeles
KNOWN for its capability to track down plundered money, the Senate is seriously looking into the possibility of tapping the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in tracing the owner of the dialysis center which received over P45 million from PhilHealth through its Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM).
In a virtual forum with newsmen, Senator Panfilo Lacson said B Braun Avitum Philippines Inc. in Benguet was also the name of the healthcare institution indicated in the bank transactions when PhilHealth wrongly credited P9.7 million to Balanga Rural Bank in 2019.
The dialysis center where such huge amount was transmitted is not even registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the senator. “That’s beyond the power of the Senate. All we can do is to summon the AMLC and kung ibibigay nila sa amin ang details ng account number ay mate-trace natin kung sino ang nag-open ng account na iyon.”
“Iko-coordinate muna namin kay Atty. [Mel Georgia] Racela who is the executive director [of the AMLC Secretariat], kung sabihin niyang pupuwede and even in an executive session they can furnish us ‘yung kopya ng account details ng account number na na-establish, then we will invite him,” he added.
Lacson said he has also urged Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chief Greco Belgica if he could ask the Ombudsman to tap AMLC regarding the matter.