Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson pledged on Monday to help augment the “crumb-sized” budget of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and other key regulatory bodies, emphasizing their crucial role in combating financial crimes and corruption.

Lacson expressed frustration at the meager funding allocated in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the AMLC, Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG), and Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the agency’s proposed 2026 budgets.

“The agencies in front of us, they are recipients of ‘crumbs’ in the budget, at least in the NEP, Lacson said, noting that AMLC’s proposed P333.1-million budget for 2026 was slashed to just P170.161 million under the NEP.

Among the programs that suffered cuts in the AMLC’s proposed 2026 budget was the maintenance and enhancement of AMLC cybersecurity and database, from a proposed P125.56 million to P93.010 million in the NEP, with a slash of P32.55 million.

Money laundering program

Suffering a cut as well was the AMLC’s program for efficient and effective prosecution of money laundering and terrorist financing cases, from a proposed P55.639 million to P22.083 million in the NEP, cut by P33.616 million.

According to AMLC executive director Matthew David, these funds are vital, particularly the P32.55 million needed for ICT software that aids in tracking virtual assets involved in money laundering and terrorist financing cases.

“Just to highlight the need to assist agencies particularly the AMLC, the P125.56-million budget for Maintenance of ICT equipment and software is smaller than that of a single flood control program,” Lacson pointed out.

“What will fully capacitate you so we can maximize your efficiency?” he told the AMLC representatives at the hearing.

Budget gaps vs corruption ‘SOPs’

Also, Lacson compared AMLC’s funding needs to the “commissions and SOPs” (standard operating procedures) allegedly demanded by corrupt officials in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and some legislator-proponents.

“These amounts are smaller than the SOPs demanded by corrupt officials in the DPWH, as well as some legislators,” he said.

“I would strongly suggest that we take a hard look at their financial positions. We can easily realign from the proposed budgets of the other agencies that are unnecessary,” he added.

Lacson recommended realigning funds from “unnecessary” items in other agencies’ budgets to fully support the AMLC, ARTA, GCG and PCC.

“Rest assured, Mr. Chairman and the AMLC, ARTA, GCG and others, we’ll be four square behind you. Kindly submit your position paper to justify [the added funding],” Lacson said.