Ronel Buenaventura named new AMLC executive director

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Atty. Ronel Buenaventura as its new executive director effective April 14, after his predecessor, Matthew David, requested a transfer to another post under the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Prior to his appointment, Buenaventura was acting deputy director of the Commitments and Policy Group of the AMLC Secretariat, where he played a role in the Philippines’ exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list.”

He was also acting legal officer IV at the Office of the General Counsel and Legal Services of the BSP.

Before joining the AMLC, Buenaventura served as vice president of a financial technology company, where he handled anti-money laundering compliance and regulatory and policy analysis of global financial trends.

He was also an associate solicitor at the Office of the Solicitor General and placed 10th in the 2015 Bar Examinations.

Buenaventura graduated magna cum laude from the Bulacan State University College of Law and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of the Philippines.

He also holds a Master of Corporate Law degree from the University of Cambridge and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of the Philippines.

He teaches Commercial Law in several academic institutions, including the University of Santo Tomas, Bulacan State University, and Tarlac State University.

Buenaventura’s predecessor, David, was executive director of the AMLC when it secured freeze orders on P27.8 billion worth of assets linked to individuals involved in the flood control corruption scandal.

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. earlier said the Philippines is working to avoid returning to the FATF “grey list” of countries under increased monitoring, amid ongoing corruption concerns involving flood control projects.—MCG, GMA News