Caraga strengthens anti-money laundering task force
Renelle Luzon Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) – The members of the Caraga Regional Anti-Money Laundering and Anti- Terrorism Financing (CRAMLATF) Task Force recently convened in Butuan City, marking a significant step in the region’s commitment to combatting money laundering and terrorism financing.
As the first official convergence of the regional task force, it was attended by Atty. Erano Dumale, deputy director of the Financial Crimes Investigation Group II, Investigation and Enforcement Department of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
“This gathering marked the official establishment of the CRAMLATF Task Force and its functionality in the region through the collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in strengthening the nation’s fight against financial crimes and terrorism financing,” he said.
He explained that the task force, pursuant to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Department Order No. 030, series f 2024, is tasked to implement comprehensive strategies to combat illicit financial activities, through crucial coordination with key regional law enforcement agencies, including the National Intelligence Agency (NICA), Philippine National Police (PNP) , National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) , Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) , Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Meanwhile in Caraga, through Regional Order No. 25-13, the task force is led by the Regional Prosecutor John S. Magdaraog with members including the city and provincial prosecutors of the region, as well as the prosecutors from Special Commercial Courts.
“All members underwent specialized training to handle money laundering and terrorism financing cases, ensuring they are equipped to tackle the complex issues on money laundering and terrorism financing ,” Prosecutor Magdaraog said.
Following the convening, the members of the CRAMLATF Task Force, along with representatives from coordinating agencies, participated in a two-day Financial Investigation Course spearheaded by the DOJ Caraga and its development partner, Hanns Seided Foundation Philippines to enhance the participant’s investigative skills in handling financial crimes.
It can be recalled that in February 2025, the Philippines got off the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the biggest international organization that fights money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation of financing weapons of mass destruction.
With this, the establishment of a functional CRAMLATF Task Force underscored Caraga region’s dedication to upholding the rule of law and supporting national efforts in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. This also served as a significant accomplishment of the Legal Cooperation Cluster of the Caraga Regional Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC). (RLE, PIA Caraga with a story from DOJ Caraga)
