Bank manager offloaded from flight to Tokyo

MANILA, Philippines - Maia Santos-Deguito, the branch manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) who is under investigation for a money-laundering scheme, was offloaded yesterday from a plane bound for Japan along with her family.

Officials said Deguito has been included in the Immigration Lookout Bulletin (ILOB) of the Bureau of Immigration after she was tagged in the $81-million money laundering transaction involving an RCBC branch in Makati City where she is manager.

Immigration officials Lourdes Bautista and Rico Pedrealba said Deguito, along with her husband and son, were asked to step out of the plane.

They were already on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 431 seated near the business class section when the immigration officials went in and politely asked the Deguitos to step out.

The flight was delayed for an hour before they were offloaded.

Airport sources said Deguito and her family arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 around 11 a.m. for their 3 p.m. flight to Narita, Japan.

Immigration bureau spokesperson Nikki Reyes said Deguito was placed in the ILBO following the order and directive of Justice Secretary Emmanuel Caparas.

Digging deeper

Deguito is being investigated by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in connection with the alleged money-laundering scheme where five accounts were opened in the RCBC Jupiter Street branch.

The Senate is set to conduct a probe on the scheme by inviting officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, presidents of four local banks and executives of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said the hearing would be conducted next week on the breach of international banking systems that led to the $81-million bank heist launched by hackers abroad.

Among those invited to the hearing were BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., also chairman of the AMLC; Teresita Herbosa, SEC chairperson; Insurance Commission head Emmanuel Dooc and Julia Bacay-Abad, executive director of the AMLC secretariat.

Apart from their respective positions, Abad and Dooc are also members of the AMLC.

Also invited to the hearing were Cristino Naguiat Jr., chairman and CEO of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), to shed light on reports that casinos were used in the money-laundering activities.

In yet another big hearing at the Senate, top executives of various banks were also invited.

They were Lorenzo Tan, president and CEO of RCBC; Fe Salamatin, head of the RCBC Compliance Unit; Reynaldo Maclang, president of Philippine National Bank (PNB): Antonio Moncupa Jr., president and CEO of East West Bank; Nestor Tan, president and CEO of Banco de Oro and Deguito, manager of RCBC-Jupiter branch in Makati City.

The PNB Ermita branch manager, along with the bank’s AMLA (Anti-Money Laundering Act) compliance officer and the BDO’s AMLA compliance officer, were also told to attend the Senate probe.

Salud Bautista, president of Philrem Service Corp., the remittance agency used in the scam, was also invited to attend, along with the bank account holders identified as Michael Cruz, Jessie Lagrosas, Alfred Vergara, Enrico Vasquez, William So Go and Kam Sin Wong.

The Senate also called on Thomas Arasi, president and CEO of Solaire Resort and Casino Manila; Reynaldo Bantug, chairman/president/CEO, Leisure and Resorts World Corp./Midas Hotel and Casino; and Clarence Chung, chairman and president of Melco Crown Philippines /City of Dreams Casino.

Tougher measures needed

Sen. Ralph Recto said the scam highlighted the need for the government to expedite the signing into law of a recently approved bill creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Former senator Panfilo Lacson also pointed out the need to tighten the provisions of the AMLA.

Lacson stressed the need to look into the practice of laundering money through casinos, following reports of cross-border electronic fraud and money-laundering involving $81 million.

Recto cited the importance of the measure amid the money laundering activity launched by hackers breaking into the system of the Bangladesh central bank last month.

The hackers reportedly stole $80 million from the Bangladesh Bank, using stolen credentials to make online transfers. The hackers reportedly requested the Federal Reserve Bank in New York to transfer the money to organizations in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Recto cited the need for “Special Action Forces” in cyberspace to protect the banking system of the Philippines from hackers.

“The threat of cyber-attack on our banking system is real. The hack-attack on Bangladesh Bank brings the threat closer to home, stressing the need for us to put up counter-measures against cyber-criminals the soonest time possible,” he said.

Under the proposed DICT, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center will be attached to the department.

The DICT will formulate the National Cybersecurity Plan and form the National Computer Emergency Response Team, “our IT Special Action Forces,” as stated in Section 15 of the approved bill by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“All powers and functions related to cybersecurity including but not limited to the formulation of the National Cybersecurity Plan, establishment of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the facilitation of international cooperation on intelligence regarding cybersecurity matters are transferred to the Department,” the proposed measure said.

“We live in an era when terrorists don’t have to blast bank doors to do mayhem; but simply unleash a virus that could shred or suck out financial data. An enemy with a missile is as dangerous as one with malware,” Recto said. – Christina Mendez, Evelyn Macairan