The Department of Justice (DOJ) has obtained a favorable court ruling convicting a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) revenue officer in Zamboanga City of multiple counts of money laundering involving more than half a million pesos, following a complaint initiated by the Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat (Anti-Money Laundering Council).
The case, prosecuted by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Mary Jane Sytat together with AMLC legal officer Atty. Charlemagne Tambo and Atty. Claudine Joy Gonzales stemmed from predicate offenses, including direct bribery, robbery with intimidation, and violation of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The Zamboanga City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12 found BIR Revenue Officer IV Flora Sarau Albao of Revenue District No. 93A guilty of violations of Sections 4(a) and 4(b) of Republic Act No. 9160, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Court records showed that Albao was first apprehended during an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation on May 27, 2022, for allegedly extorting ₱500,000 from a complainant identified as Ms. Ledesma, an incident that later prompted coordination with the AMLC.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Albao maintained 36 bank accounts across multiple financial institutions, including BPI, PNB, Metrobank, and BDO.
Despite earning a monthly salary of ₱49,835 (or about ₱598,020 annually), she was found to have deposited an average of ₱93,000 between May and August 2022—an amount more than double her declared income during that period.
In its ruling, the court sentenced Albao to 7 to 13 years of imprisonment for six counts of money laundering, each carrying a ₱3 million fine, and an additional 4 to 6 years for six more counts with a ₱1.5 million fine per count. The penalties are to be served successively.
Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida emphasized the ruling’s significance, stating, “Public office demands a higher standard of accountability and integrity. Those entrusted with the privilege to serve must not only perform with excellence but also uphold the highest degree of candor in all their dealings—this is the benchmark that our Bagong Pilipinas government will never compromise.”
The DOJ said the conviction highlights its continued commitment to aggressively prosecuting money laundering cases and strengthening the enforcement of the rule of law against corruption in public service.
