06.11.2007
The Rule of Law Initiative’s Asia Division, in partnership with the Philippine Bar Association (PBA), held its second CLE program on April 13-14, 2007. The two-day program focused on a comparative analysis of U.S and Philippine laws and practices concerning anti-money laundering matters, the Filipino Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, electronic and other evidentiary issues and ethical considerations in commercial litigation. Senator Franklin Drilon, considered in the Philippines as the “father of the Anti-Money Laundering Law” and the former President of the Senate of the Philippines, participated in the session.
Greg Baldwin of Miami, Florida, an expert in the field of complex commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, U.S. Patriot Act, Bank Secrecy Act and the Money Laundering Control Act, was the primary trainer for the MCLE course. Philippine experts on these respective subject matters were invited to serve as lecturers and discusison participants, including Justice Manuel Pamaran, retired Presiding Justice of the Sandiganbayan, Julia Bacay-Abad, who heads the Legal and Evaluation Unit of the Philippines Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Vicente Aquino, Executive Director of AMLAC, Jose Disini, Jr., of the University of the Philippines Law Center and Victor Lazatin, PBA President.
The MCLE methodology of combining legal analysis and high-level expert-led dialogue was enthusiastically received by participants.