The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) confirmed Thursday that its supplemental allocation of ₱162.9 million for 2026 was pivotal in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into its operations against financial crimes.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor and AMLC Chairman Eli Remolona Jr. shared the development during a Senate Finance Committee hearing.
The update comes nearly a year after Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probes into a major flood control scandal exposed gaps in monitoring massive cash transfers by government contractors.
Remolona explained that ₱125 million from the additional funds went directly toward advancing AI tools, capacity building, and onboarding technical specialists to run the system.
“Ang ₱125 million, napunta yan sa AI. Tapos ang capacity building. Kailangan din ng mga experts sa paggamit ng AI. So gamit na gamit po ang budget na yan,” Remolona stated in response to inquiry from Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson during the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) briefing on the proposed 2027 budget.
Lacson raised the query as part of the Senate’s oversight role to evaluate the impact of the council’s augmented funding.
The financial boost stems from action taken by the Senate Finance Panel, then chaired by now-Senate President Win Gatchalian, which increased the AMLC’s 2026 allocation from the ₱170.161 million listed in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) up to ₱333 million following Lacson’s push.
In September 2025, Lacson pledged to secure more resources for the council after criticizing the initial proposed budget for providing mere “crumbs” to the agency. The intervention was prompted by Blue Ribbon Committee inquiries into suspicious, multi-million peso cash withdrawals tied to public works contractors.
Although the council had originally asked the Department of Budget and Management for ₱333.1 million for 2026, the request was initially slashed under the NEP.