The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has secured a freeze order for more than 130 bank accounts and insurance policies linked to a corruption scandal involving flood-control projects, officials announced Tuesday, Sept. 16.
The Court of Appeals granted the order for 135 bank accounts and 27 insurance policies belonging to 26 individuals, including personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), contractors, and their firms.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon stated in a briefing that the accounts include those of the “Bulacan Group of Contractors,” or “BGC boys,” and other DPWH contractors, such as Sarah Discaya.
The freeze order, which is effective immediately, was issued under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The AMLC cited potential money laundering of public funds intended for the projects. While the total amount frozen is still undetermined, the AMLC said it expects to establish the value within 24 hours.
The development follows a Sept. 12 letter in which Dizon formally requested the AMLC to freeze the assets of the officials and private contractors.
The letter, addressed to AMLC Executive Director Matthew M. David, sought a freeze order for the assets of 23 DPWH officials and three private contractors. The officials on the list include a former assistant regional director, three former or current district engineers, and various section chiefs and engineers.
The private contractors were identified as Ma. Roma Angeline D. Rimando and Cezarah Rowena C. Discaya of St. Timothy Construction Corp., Mark Allan V. Arevalo of Wawao Builders, Sally N. Servino of SYMS Construction Trading, and Robert T. Imperio of RJ Construction Corp.
In his letter, Dizon described the request as an “extraordinary and interim legal remedy to prevent the dissipation, removal, or disposal of properties strongly believed to be the proceeds of, or related to, unlawful activities.”
To support the request, the DPWH attached a complaint filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, a special audit report from the DPWH Internal Audit Service dated Aug. 25, 2025, and a team audit report from the Commission on Audit dated Sept. 8, 2025.
The department noted that these reports provide “substantial evidence linking the assets of the aforementioned individuals and entities to alleged unlawful activities.”
At the briefing, David said the assets subject to the freeze order are “linked to persons and entities currently under investigation by the Senate blue ribbon committee for suspected anomalies in government flood control projects.”
“Preliminary findings of the AMLC point to possible money laundering schemes involving public funds intended to fund flood control initiatives,” David said.
After the freezing, the AMLC has yet to file a legal case to seize these assets and will also pursue a separate money laundering case against all involved. These cases could also include any additional assets they would discover during investigation.
As for the magnitude of corruption, Dizon said this is an “unprecedented” level, involving not just millions but billions of pesos, and affecting multiple areas beyond Bulacan and Mindoro.
For its part, the BSP has also started probing bank accounts under the new Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA). The central bank’s move follows an official request filed on Monday, Sept. 15, by Dizon.
The investigation targets “money-muling” or the use of financial accounts to move funds known to come from crimes.
Under AFASA, bank secrecy and data privacy rules are waived for BSP investigations, enabling faster action. As such, the BSP can immediately investigate financial accounts suspected of criminal activity or fraud without needing a court order.
Penalties for money-muling include six to eight years in prison or fines ranging from ₱100,000 to ₱500,000.
BSP legal counsel Roberto Figueroa said that under AFASA, banks must temporarily freeze accounts for at least 30 days upon receiving an inquiry order, and failure to comply could make the bank legally liable.