THE new Anti-Money Laundering Council executive director, Atty. Ronnel Buenaventura, ranked 10th in the 2015 Bar Exams. He graduated magna cum laude from Bulacan State University, earned degrees from UP Diliman, and completed a Master of Corporate Law with First Class honors from the University of Cambridge. He has also taught commercial law at several universities.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of Tarlac State University
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The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has appointed Atty. Ronel U. Buenaventura as its new executive director, reinforcing its push for asset recovery and sustained reforms following the Philippines’ exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “gray list” in 2025.
Buenaventura assumed office on 14 April, 2026, succeeding Matthew M. David, who transferred within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
During the transition, Arnold Kabanlit served as officer-in-charge to ensure leadership continuity.
Freeze orders
Buenaventura’s appointment comes amid ongoing large-scale AMLC investigations into alleged anomalies in flood control projects. Over the past six months, the agency has secured freeze orders covering P27.8 billion in assets linked to the controversy and filed civil forfeiture cases against individuals and entities under investigation.
Likewise, the courts have issued provisional preservation orders to protect these assets pending final rulings.
Complex financial trails
The AMLC noted that the cases involve complex financial trails, requiring analysis of interconnected accounts and extensive transaction records to establish links and ensure evidence holds up in court.
Before his appointment, Buenaventura served as acting deputy director of the AMLC Secretariat’s Commitments and Policy Group, contributing to the country’s successful FATF compliance.
He also worked at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as acting legal officer IV and at the Office of the Solicitor General as associate solicitor III. In the private sector, he held a fintech role focused on AML compliance and policy.
