BusinessWorld June 11, 2021 | 12:01 am REUTERS THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is backing the amendment of the Republic Act No. 1405 or the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Law to further strengthen its efforts against dirty money, tax evasion, and other financial crimes. “Such provisions will lift a long-standing barrier to effective investigation and prosecution of financial crimes,” the corporate watchdog said. The amendments under House Bill No. 8991 will empower the SEC, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp., the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Department of Justice, and other courts to look into the deposits of supervised institutions or persons should there be reasonable grounds to do so.