MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippine central bank has tightened the noose on large cash withdrawals, ordering banks to conduct “enhanced due diligence” for transactions exceeding 500,000 pesos ($8,748.75) in an effort to curb money laundering.
The new rule comes amid a government-led anti-corruption crackdown on infrastructure projects, which has already resulted in the freezing of more than a hundred bank accounts tied to contractors and public work officials now under investigation.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, in a September 18 circular, said transactions above 500,000 pesos, or their foreign currency equivalent, must be traceable through channels such as cheques, online fund transfers, direct credit to deposit accounts, or digital payments.
The cap applies to a single transaction or series of transactions within one banking day, the central bank said.
“Through this reform, the BSP aims to strengthen measures against the use of cash for illegal activities, promote trust in the financial system, and ensure that it can respond to new risks,” the bank said in a statement.
Banks can also set lower limits based on their own risk assessments and their customers’ financial profile, BSP said.
Philippine President Marcos Jr. has set up an independent commission to lead corruption investigations, with a focus on flood control spending, which came under scrutiny after a series of storms inundated several cities and provinces.
Civil society groups, including church leaders, are planning anti-corruption rallies on September 21 to coincide with the anniversary of the declaration of martial law by late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr, Marcos Jr’s father, a period many remember as one of the darkest in the country’s history.
($1 = 57.151 Philippine pesos)
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway)
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