BIR officer convicted of money laundering in Zamboanga sting

A revenue officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has been convicted of multiple counts of money laundering after authorities uncovered bank transactions far exceeding her government salary, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday.

The Zamboanga City Regional Trial Court Branch 12 found Flora Sarau Albao, a Revenue Officer IV assigned to BIR Revenue District No. 93A, guilty of violating provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Act under Republic Act No. 9160.

The conviction stems from a 2022 entrapment operation led by the National Bureau of Investigation, where Albao was caught allegedly extorting P500,000 from a taxpayer. 

The case later expanded after coordination with the Anti-Money Laundering Council uncovered a pattern of suspicious financial activity.

Investigators found that Albao maintained 36 bank accounts across major institutions, including Bank of the Philippine Islands, Philippine National Bank, Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company, and Banco de Oro.

Despite earning roughly P49,835 a month or just under P600,000 annually, court records showed she deposited an average of P93,000 monthly over four months in 2022, raising red flags among financial investigators.

Prosecutors from the DOJ, led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Mary Jane Sytat alongside AMLC legal officers, successfully argued that these transactions were inconsistent with her lawful income and tied to illicit activities, including bribery and graft under Republic Act No. 3019.

The court handed down stiff penalties: Albao was sentenced to 7 to 13 years in prison for each of six major counts of money laundering, with fines of P3 million per count. 

She was also given 4 to 6 years imprisonment for six additional counts, each carrying a P1.5 million fine. All sentences are to be served successively, exposing her to decades behind bars.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida underscored the ruling as a warning to public officials, stressing that government service demands “the highest degree of accountability and integrity.”

“Those entrusted with the privilege to serve must not only perform with excellence, but also uphold the highest degree of candor in all their dealings—this is the benchmark that our Bagong Pilipinas government will never compromise,” he added.