3.25.2026 #onlinediary
Individuals and firms linked to the flood control scandal may now regain access to previously frozen assets after the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) initial freeze order expired and was not extended.
According to a Bilyonaryo.com source, the case, docketed as CA GR-AMLA 00432, saw the AMLC seek an extension of the freeze order on March 12, but the Court of Appeals denied the request in a resolution dated March 16, 2025.
With the denial, the freeze order has effectively lapsed, theoretically allowing account holders to withdraw or move their assets, subject to standard regulatory checks.
The AMLC earlier disclosed that it had secured the freeze order on September 16, 2025, covering 135 bank accounts and 27 insurance policies tied to individuals and corporations under investigation for suspected anomalies in flood control projects.
The petition, filed a day earlier in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General, aimed to support a broader probe into alleged money laundering activities and identify all parties involved.
While the AMLC did not publicly name those covered, the report said the initial freeze order included individuals and entities such as Henry Alcantara, Bryce Hernandez, SIMS Construction, Wawao Builders, Engineer Mendoza, and Sally Santos, among others.
Among them, Alcantara and Santos are considered state witnesses in the flood control probe, according to the Department of Justice.
Accounts covered by the freeze order spanned major commercial banks, insurance firms, the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines, and several rural banks.
Under anti-money laundering rules, the AMLC may seek a freeze order upon establishing probable cause that assets are linked to unlawful activity. Such orders are effective for 20 days unless extended by the Court of Appeals. If an extension is sought within the prescribed period, the freeze remains in effect until the court resolves the request.
In this case, however, the denial of the extension effectively lifted the restrictions.

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