The Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) recently issued a strong statement, claiming that even though the involved VIP room service providers have ceased operations in the Philippines, their role in the Anson Que kidnapping and murder case is "inescapable." This shocking case not only involves an underground law enforcement network but also exposes regulatory loopholes in the financial flows of the Philippine gaming industry.
The kidnapping of Anson Que has drawn widespread attention, particularly regarding the direction of the 200 million pesos ransom paid by his family. According to a joint investigation by the Philippine National Police (PNP), the gaming regulatory body PAGCOR, and AMLC, this money is suspected to have been laundered through a local casino's "VIP room" system and further converted into cryptocurrencies, evading traditional financial system monitoring.
The investigation revealed that the ransom was initially deposited into casino-related accounts in multiple batches, in both pesos and dollars. Subsequently, the funds were internally transferred through an exclusive e-wallet platform serving VIP customers, and then moved into several e-wallets with false registration information and unclear identities, before being transferred out through cryptocurrency channels, creating a "break-point" tracking dilemma.
In its statement, AMLC pointed out: "The related fund movements exhibit typical money laundering characteristics—including the use of gaming-specific wallets, identity-forged accounts, and the conversion mechanisms of decentralized digital assets." According to the clues they have, two VIP room service providers are involved, one of which publicly announced the suspension of its operations in the Philippines on May 7, while the other claimed to completely withdraw. However, regulatory authorities clearly state that any attempt to evade legal responsibilities by ceasing operations will not be accepted.
AMLC calls on all local financial institutions, gaming venues, and e-wallet service providers to strengthen the reporting mechanisms for suspicious transactions and fully implement customer identity verification (KYC) procedures to avoid being exploited by illegal financial chains.
The Anson Que case is still in a critical investigative stage. Sources reveal that the case may involve a long-standing underground network in the Philippine gaming circle, which controls multiple VIP room operating licenses and cryptocurrency wallet tools, specifically handling high-risk, high-frequency fund transfers. An anonymous investigator disclosed: "This is not a one-time operation model, but a structured laundering system."
The incident has triggered widespread concern about structural flaws in the Philippine gaming payment system. Some legislators have called for a legislative re-examination of the VIP room model and suggested introducing stricter cryptocurrency transaction registration systems to prevent their continued use in concealing illegal financial activities.
The gray areas of the Philippine gaming industry are gradually being uncovered through a Chinese merchant's murder case. AMLC vows to cooperate with various law enforcement units to continue digging deeper, not ruling out the possibility that more individuals and companies will be formally included in the money laundering investigation list in the future.
