SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
s. No. 14()'8
^ c m ‘r
m t;ir r % •frrt.'trj’
'17 M/\Y 23 P2 -18
RCCtiVLD i.V
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
DESIGNATING CASINOS AS COVERED PERSONS UNDER REPUBLIC 
ACT 
NO. 9160, OTHER\MSE 
KNOWN 
AS THE ANTI-MONEY 
LAUNDERING ACT OF 2001, AS AMENDED
Explanatory Note
Republic Act No. 10365 is the most recent amendment to the Anti-Money 
Laundering Act (AMLA), as amended. However, this law failed to include the 
casinos as covered persons. It is noteworthy to mention that casinos are included in 
the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations under the designated 
non-fmancial business and professions (DNFBP) category.
In its Report dated November 23, 2016 during the APG High Level Visit in 
Manila on November 17-18, 2016, the Asia/Pacillc Group (APG) on Money 
Laundering urged the Philippine lawmakers to include casino regulation in the 
AMLA before the next APG meeting in July 2017.
This bill seeks to address the deficiency in the Philippine legal framework 
against money laundering and to make it fully compliant with the standards 
provided under the FATF Recommendations.
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
S
7
RALPH G. RFjCTO


SEN i:n t i:i:nTil c o n g r e s s o f h i e  )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No.
^-r»i 
s
v ' r ; ;  p p( ; ir • ' 
'
’17 MAY 23 P2:l8
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
DESIGNATING CASINOS AS COVERED PERSONS UNDER REPUBLIC 
ACT NO. 
9160, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN 
AS 
THE ANTI-MONEY 
LAUNDERING ACT OF 2001, AS AMENDED
Be if enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION I. Section 3(a) of Republic Act No. 9160, is hereby further amended as
2 
follows:
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“a)'Covered Persons', natural or juridical, refer to:
4 
XXX
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(8) CASINOS, INCLUDING INTERNET AND SHIP-BASED
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CASINOS, WITH RESPECT TO THEIR CASINO CASH
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TRANSACTIONS 
RELATED 
TO 
THEIR 
GAMING
8 
OPERATIONS.”
9 
XXX
10 
SECTION. 2. Section 3(b) of Republic Act No. 9160, is hereby further amended
11 
to read as follows:
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“(b) 
‘Covered transaction’ is a transaction in cash or other equivalent
13 
monetary instrument involving a total amount in excess of Five hundred thousand
14 
pesos (P500,000.00) within one (1) banking day; FOR COVERED PERSONS
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UNDER SECTION 3(a)(8), A SINGLE CASINO CASH TRANSACTION
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INVOLVING AN AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF FIVE MILLION PESOS
17 
(P5,000,000.00) OR ITS EQUIVALENT IN ANY OTHER CURRENCY”
18 
SECTION. 3. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 9160, is hereby further amended by
19 
inserting a new paragraph (1) to read as follows:
20 
“XXX
21 
“(1) 
FOR PURPOSES OF COVERED PERSONS UNDER SECTION


1 
3(a)(8), THE FOLLOWING TERMS ARE HEREBY DEFINED AS
2 
FOLLOWS:
3 
(1) 
‘CASINO’ REFERS TO A BUSINESS AUTHORIZED BY
4 
THE APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT AGENCY TO
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ENGAGE IN GAMING OPERATIONS; ‘INTERNET-
6 
BASED CASINO’ SHALL REFER TO CASINOS IN
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WHICH PERSONS PARTICIPATE BY THE USE OF
8 
REMOTE COMMUNICATION FACILITIES SUCH AS,
9 
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INTERNET, TELEPHONE,
10 
TELEVISION, RADIO OR ANY OTHER KIND OF
11 
ELECTRONIC 
OR 
OTHER 
TECHNOLOGY 
FOR
12 
FACILITATING 
COMMUNICATION; 
‘SHIP-BASED
13 
CASINO’ 
SHALL 
REFER 
TO 
CASINOS, 
THE
14 
OPERATION 
OF WHICH 
IS 
UNDERTAKEN 
ON
15 
BOARD A VESSEL, SHIP, BOAT OR ANY OTHER
16 
WATER-BASED 
CRAFT 
WHOLLY 
OR 
PARTLY
17 
INTENDED FOR GAMBLING;
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(2) 
‘CASINO 
CASH 
TRANSACTION’ 
REFERS 
TO
19 
TRANSACTIONS 
INVOLVING THE 
RECEIPT OF
20 
CASH BY A CASINO PAID BY OR ON BEHALF OF A
21 
CUSTOMER; OR TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THE
22 
PAYOUT OF CASH BY A CASINO TO A CUSTOMER
23 
OR TO ANY PERSON IN HIS BEHALF;
24 
(3) 
‘GAMING 
OPERATIONS’ 
REFERS 
TO 
THE
25 
ACTIVITIES OF THE CASINO OFFERING GAMES OF
26 
CHANCE 
AND 
ANY 
VARIATIONS 
THEREOF
27 
APPROVED BY THE APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT
28 
AUTHORITY.”
29 
SECTION. 4. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 9160, is hereby further amended to
30 
read as follows:
31 
“SEC. 10. Freezing of Monetary Instrument or Property. — Upon a
32 
verified ex parte petition by the AMLC and after determination that
33 
probable cause exists that any monetary instrument or property is in


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any way related to an unlawful activity as defined in Section 3(i) 
hereof, the Court of Appeals may issue a freeze order which shall be 
effective immediately FOR A PERIOD OF TWENTY (20) DAYS. 
WITHIN THE TWENTY (20) DAYS PERIOD, THE COURT OF 
APPEALS SHALL CONDUCT A SUMMARY HEARING, WITH 
NOTICE TO THE PARTIES, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR 
NOT TO MODIFY OR LIFT THE FREEZE ORDER, OR 
EXTEND ITS EFFECTIVITY. THE TOTAL PERIOD OF jand 
which] THE FREEZE ORDER ISSUED BY THE COURT OF 
APPEALS UNDER THIS PROMSION shall not exceed six (6) 
months. THIS IS WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO AN ASSET 
PRESERVATION ORDER THAT THE REGIONAL TRIAL 
COURT HAVING JURISDICTION OVER THE APPROPRIATE 
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING CASE OR CIVIL FORFEITURE 
CASE MAY ISSUE ON THE SAME ACCOUNT depending upon 
the circumstances of the case, WHERE THE COURT OF 
APPEALS WILL REMAND THE CASE AND ITS RECORDS: 
Provided, That if there is no case filed against a person whose account 
has been frozen within the period determined by the [court] COURT 
OF APPEALS, NOT EXCEEDING SIX (6) MONTHS, the freeze 
order shall be deemed ipso facto lifted: Provided, further, That this 
new rule shall not apply to pending cases in the courts. In any case, the 
court should act on the petition to freeze within twenty-four (24) hours 
from filing of the petition. If the application is filed a day before a 
nonworking day, the computation of the twenty-four (24)- hour period 
shall exclude the nonworking days.
“THE FREEZE ORDER OR ASSET PRESERVATION ORDER 
ISSUED UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE LIMITED ONLY TO 
THE AMOUNT OF CASH OR MONETARY INSTRUMENT OR 
VALUE OF PROPERTY THAT THE COURT FINDS THERE IS 
PROBABLE CAUSE TO BE CONSIDERED AS PROCEEDS OF 
A PREDICATE OFFENSE, AND THE FREEZE ORDER OR 
ASSET PRESERVATION ORDER SHALL NOT APPLY TO


1 
AMOUNTS IN THE SAME ACCOUNT IN EXCESS OF THE
2 
AMOUNT OR VALUE OF THE PROCEEDS OF THE
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PREDICATE OFFENSE.
4 
“xxx
5 
“IF A FREEZE ORDER OR ASSET PRESERV ATION ORDER
6 
IS 
IMPOSED ON 
AN 
ACCOUNT (INCLUDING 
BANK
7 
ACCOUNT) OF A COVERED PERSON THAT IT USES FOR
8 
PAYMEN I OF SALARY, RENT, SUPPLIERS, AND/OR TAXES
9 
IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS,
10 
THE COVERED PERSON MAY APPLY WITH THE COURT
11 
WHICH 
ISSUED 
THE 
FREEZE 
ORDER 
OR 
ASSET
12 
PRESERVATION 
ORDER 
TO 
LIFT 
THE 
SAME 
BY
13 
SUBMITTING 
A 
BOND 
OR 
OTHER 
ACCEPTABLE
14 
SECURITIES OF EQUAL VALUE TO THE AMOUNT OR
15 
VALUE SUBJECT OF THE FREEZE ORDER OR ASSET
16 
PRESERVATION ORDER. THE BOND OR SECURITY WHEN
17 
APPROVED 
BY 
THE 
COURT 
SHALL 
SECURE 
THE
18 
PAYMENT OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY ORDER OR
19 
JUDGMENT THAT THE AMLC MAY RECOVER IN THE
20 
APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATING TO THAT FREEZE
21 
ORDER OR ASSET PRESERVATION ORDER.
22 
“xxx”
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SECTION. 5. Section 18 of Republic Act No. 9160, is hereby amended by
24 
inserting a new paragraph to read as follows:
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“SEC. 18. Implementing Rules and Regulations. —
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“xxx
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“xxx
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“WITHIN NINETY (90) DAYS FROM THE El I ECTIVITY OF
29 
THIS ACT, THE AMLC, THE PHILIPPINE AMUSEMENT
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AND GAMING CORPORATION (PAGCOR) AND OTHER
31 
GOVERNMENT REGULATORY AGENCY SHALL JOINTLY
32 
PROMULGATE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO


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IMPLEMENT 
THE 
PROVISIONS 
OF 
THIS 
ACT 
AS
2 
APPLICABLE TO CASINOS AS COVERED INSTITUTIONS.
3 
THE IMPLEMENTING RULES APPLICABLE TO OTHER
4 
COVERED 
INSTITUTIONS 
SHALL 
NOT 
APPLY 
TO
5 
CASINOS UNLESS IT IS EXPRESSLY SO PROVIDED UNDER
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THE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE
7 
PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT.”
8 
SECTION. 6 Separability Clause. - If any provisions of this Act is declared
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unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of other
10 
provisions hereof.
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SECTION. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances or
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portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
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SECTION. 8. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
15 
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
16
Approved,