According to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last year to completely eliminate all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) played a major role in removing the Philippines from the FATF gray list.
In an interview with DZBB on Sunday, March 2, Castro explained that one of the reasons why the Philippines remained on the gray list was the continuous operation of POGOs.
"This (POGO ban) was a huge factor for the FATF to see the improvement," according to Castro in the said interview.
Dagdag pa niya, inisyu ni Marcos ang Executive Order (EO) No. 33, na nag-aatas sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno na gawin ang lahat ng kinakailangang hakbang upang matanggal ang Pilipinas sa FATF grey list. Binigyang-diin niyang mahalaga ito lalo na para sa Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) at mga mamumuhunan.
In July 2023, EO 33 was implemented to set the country's strategy in the fight against money laundering, terrorism, and illegal financing from 2023 to 2027.
The Philippines was removed from the FATF gray list on February 21, after the FATF recognized the country's efforts in strengthening rules against money laundering and terrorism.
Because of this, the Philippines will no longer be subject to stricter surveillance by the FATF.
Ayon sa FATF, ang grey list ay isang tanda ng pangako ng isang bansa na pahuhusayin ang seguridad sa pananalapi sa pamamagitan ng isang action plan.
However, the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) called the removal of the gray list a "pyrrhic victory" or victory that comes with great sacrifice. The group said that in the government's compliance with the FATF, it allegedly used the anti-terrorism law to undermine civil rights and freedoms.
Before the delisting, the Philippines had been on the FATF gray list since June 2021.
