Section 6March 7, 2003, Sec./Art. 6

Section 9(c) of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"(c) Reporting of Covered and Suspicious Transactions. -- Covered institutions shall report to the AMLC all covered transactions and suspicious transactions within five(5) working days from occurrences thereof, unless the Supervising Authority prescribes a longer period not exceeding ten (10) working days.

"Should a transaction be determined to be both a covered transaction and a suspicious transaction, the covered institution shall be required to report the same as a suspicious transaction.

"When reporting covered or suspicious transactions to the AMLC, covered institutions and their officers and employees shall not be deemed to have violated Republic Act No. 1405, as amended, Republic Act No. 6426, as amended, Republic Act No. 8791 and other similar laws, but are prohibited from communicating, directly or indirectly, in any manner or by an means, to any person, the fact that a covered or suspicious transaction report was made, the contents thereof, or any other information in relation thereto. In case of violation thereof, the concerned officer and employee of the covered institution shall be criminally liable.

However, no administrative, criminal or civil proceedings, shall lie against any person for having made a covered or suspicious transaction report in the regular performance of his duties in good faith, whether or not such reporting results in any criminal prosecution under this Act of any other law.

"When reporting covered or suspicious transactions to the AMLC, covered instituting and their officers and employees are prohibited from communicating directly or indirectly, in any manner or by any means, to any person or entity, the media, the fact that a covered or suspicious transaction report was made, the contents thereof, or any other information in relation thereto. Neither may such reporting be published or aired in any manner or form by the mass media, electronic mail, or other similar devices. In case of violation thereof, the concerned officer and employee of the covered institution and media shall be held criminally liable.