Laoag City: A measure that will help expose the ill-gotten wealth of government officials and employees – including the President – by excluding them from the Bank Secrecy Law will be one of senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson’s priorities should he return to the Senate. “Una kong panukalang batas at ito lagi kong unang fina-file sa bawa’t Kongreso, ang waiver ng rights sa Bank Secrecy Act ng lahat ng government officials, from the lowest clerk or janitor all the way up to the President (The first bill I will file, as I have done in the past Congresses, will be on the waiver for the rights to Bank Secrecy Act for all government officials, from the lowest clerk or janitor all the way up to the President),’ he said during a press conference before the Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas’ proclamation rally in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lacson stated that this measure will allow the early detection of questionable bank transactions, citing the case of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, where billions of pesos were reportedly transferred to her accounts from 2018 to 2024. The last version of Lacson’s bill was Senate Bill No. 26, which was filed in 2019 during the 18th Congress.

The bill intends to strip public servants of the ‘protection’ offered by the Bank Secrecy Act, which generally prohibits disclosure or inquiry into bank deposits. Lacson indicated that the act’s provision has often been used to ‘hamper and stall investigations’ of government officials and employees suspected of enriching themselves while in public office.

Also included under the proposed bill are members of the uniformed services and employees of government-owned and controlled corporations. Lacson has previously found electoral success in the region, having topped the senatorial race in Laoag City and placed second in Ilocos Norte province during the 2016 elections.