BSP DOJ Information-Sharing Pact Accelerates Scam Investigations

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Department of Justice signed an information-sharing agreement to streamline the DOJ’s access to financial account information in scams, under the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) enacted in July 2024. The pact creates a formal channel for the DOJ to request data from BSP’s Consumer Account Protection Office, with safeguards to ensure information is used only for authorized legal proceedings and to protect privacy. Officials say the arrangement will close gaps between BSP’s inquiry powers and the DOJ’s prosecutorial mandate, speeding investigations and prosecutions of online and cyber-enabled financial crimes. BSP and DOJ leaders describe it as a unified response to threats against the financial system and a move to trace suspicious transactions quickly to protect consumers. The agreement marks a shift from ad hoc exchanges to a structured framework designed to accelerate justice for victims of financial scams.