By Vanne Elaine Terrazola The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday issued a subpoena against seven individuals suspected to be involved in the “suspicious” entry of the millions of dollars of cash into the Philippines. Senator Richard Gordon
(CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Senator Richard Gordon, committee chairman, ordered Mary Rose Rodriguez, Janet Rodriguez, John Joshua Rodriguez, Michael Julian Rodriguez, Simon John Rodriguez, Natasha Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Rodriguez, to appear before the panel in its next hearing on the supposed money-laundering schemes linked to the proliferation of offshore gaming operations in the country. The Blue Ribbon Committee is set to resume its legislative probe on the issue on March 12. Should they fail to attend the next hearing, Gordon said vowed to order their arrest. Gordon, during the hearing, said the related individuals allegedly form part of a syndicate which manages to bring huge sums of foreign currency to the Philippines despite the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) which requires the declaration of large amounts entering the country's borders. The Rodriguez group brought in US$283 million of the total US$633 million that flew into the country from September, 2019, to March 5, 2020. Most of their cash came from Hong Kong and Singapore. Three of them declared carrying US$1.7 million in separate transactions from March 3 to 4, data gathered by Gordon's office showed. According to Gordon, members of the family are currently engaged in a large network marketing business in the country. While the Blue Ribbon Committee has yet to investigate the Rodriguezes' possible involvement in illegal activities, Gordon said he is convinced that the group is part of the money-laundering scheme. “Kung ako lang tatanungin (If you would ask me), yes. Imagine you're putting in so much money into our country, you could practically change the dollar value and the peso value, you could actually create a bubble with all that money,” Gordon told reporters when asked if there is evidence linking the group to money laundering. “I think they're using the money essentially, una sa (firstly, in) property. Some people are putting in money, 'yun ang ginagamit pamimili ng property (and they are using it to buy properties). But more than that, I think there are other things that they are doing that are not healthy,” he added. Gordon also claimed that the Rodriguezes were acting as mules of other people. “Well, you don't lose $700,000, nakumpiska sayo ta's tutuloy ka ulit (that was confiscated from you, and continue your activities). That means they're doing it for some other people,” he said.