AMLC freezes assets of 16 NDF members

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has ordered the freezing of assets that belong to 16 member-organizations of the National Democratic Front (NDF), and advised government agencies and private entities as well as the public to not deal with the “terrorist” groups.

The subject of the freeze orders include the Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions; Katipunan ng mga Samahang Manggagawa or Federation of Labor Organizations; Pambansang Katipunan ng Magbubukid or National Association of Peasants; Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan or Patriotic Movement of New Women; Kabataang Makabayan or Patriotic Youth; Katipunan ng Gurong Makabayan or Association of Patriotic Teachers; Makabayang Samahan Pangkalusugan or Patriotic Health Association; Liga ng Agham para sa Bayan or League of Scientists for the People; Lupon ng Manananggol para sa Bayan or Committee of Lawyers for the People; Artista at Manunulat para sa Sambayanan or Artists and Writers for the People; Makabayang Kawaning Pilipino or Patriotic Government Employees; Revolutionary Organization of Overseas Filipinos and their Families; Christians for National Liberation; Cordillera People’s Democratic Front; Moro Resistance and Liberation Organization; and Revolutionary Organization of Lumads.

Not named in the AMLC resolution were the two remaining members of the NDF—the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, which the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) tagged as terrorist in December 2020. The ATC did the same with the NDF itself in July 2021. The AMLC said this move was in agreement with the ATC, which branded the subject organizations as “terrorist” in its Resolution No. 28 issued last Jan. 26.

In its own Resolution No. TF-50 Series of 2022 dated Feb. 22, the AMLC gave notice particularly to the Land Transportation Office, Land Registration Authority, Registry of Deeds, Maritime Industry Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

The AMLC said its adoption of the resolution—which directs the issuance of freeze orders that take effect immediately—was intended to meet the Philippine government’s international obligations to comply with binding terrorism-related resolutions.

These include United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1373, which was issued on Sept. 28, 2001 in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

The AMLC said properties or funds that the NDF member-organizations own or control must be frozen without delay, whether or not these assets are directly related or can be tied to a particular terrorist act, plot, or threat.

Also, the antidirty money body that any individual or group that deal directly or indirectly with the groups that are subject of the sanctions shall be prosecuted under the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.

“[Everyone is] mandated to submit as Suspicious Transaction Report all previous transactions of the [entities under sanction] within five days from effectivity of this order,” the AMLC said.

Last Feb. 2, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also came out with its Memorandum No. M-2022-007, which gave answers to “frequently asked questions” about the freezing of assets, formally called “targeted financial sanctions.”

In the memo, BSP-supervised financial institutions were advised to assess and address the risk of their not complying with the mandate to freeze the assets of and not dealing with individuals and entities that are tagged as terrorist.