Western Visayas launches anti-money laundering task force

A comprehensive regional effort against financial crimes has been launched in Western Visayas with the establishment of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Task Force.

The task force brings together a wide array of government agencies, including the Department of Justice – Office of the Regional Prosecutor 6 (DOJ-ORP6), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA6), Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI6), 3rd Infantry Division, Philippine Army (3ID, PA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA6), Bureau of Customs (BOC6), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC6), and other law enforcement bodies.

Its primary mandate is to strengthen inter-agency coordination, enhance intelligence sharing, and accelerate case build-up and operations targeting individuals or groups involved in money laundering and terrorism financing.

The creation of the task force follows Department Memorandum Circular No. 030 issued by the DOJ, which calls for broader collaboration among national and regional agencies to curb financial crimes across the country.

Officials emphasized that this initiative represents a proactive, unified approach to dismantling illicit financial networks and ensuring that criminal and terrorist activities are effectively disrupted before they can cause harm.

The Western Visayas task force is expected to serve as a model for other regions, demonstrating how multi-agency cooperation can strengthen the fight against financial crime and support national security.