REPUBLIC ACT No.

1405
AN ACT PROHIBITING DISCLOSURE OF OR INQUIRY
INTO, DEPOSITS WITH ANY BANKING INSTITUTION
AND PROVIDING PENALTY THEREFOR.
Section 1. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Government to
give encouragement to the people to deposit their money in banking
institutions and to discourage private hoarding so that the same may
be properly utilized by banks in authorized loans to assist in the
economic development of the country.
Section 2.
1
All deposits of whatever nature with banks or banking
institutions in the Philippines including investments in bonds issued
by the Government of the Philippines, its political subdivisions and
its instrumentalities, are hereby considered as of an absolutely
confidential nature and may not be examined, inquired or looked into
by any person, government official, bureau or office, except upon
written permission of the depositor, or in cases of impeachment, or
upon order of a competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of
duty of public officials, or in cases where the money deposited or
invested is the subject matter of the litigation.
Section 3. It shall be unlawful for any official or employee of a
banking institution to disclose to any person other than those
mentioned in Section two hereof any information concerning said
deposits.
Section 4. All Acts or parts of Acts, Special Charters, Executive
Orders, Rules and Regulations which are inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.
Section 5. Any violation of this law will subject offender upon
conviction, to an imprisonment of not more than five years or a fine
of not more than twenty thousand pesos or both, in the discretion of
the court.
Section 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: September 9, 1955

Footnote
1
This Section and Section 3 were both amended by PD No.
1792 issued January 16, 1981, PD 1792 was expressly repealed by
Sec 135 of R.A. No. 7653, approved June 14, 1993. The original
sections 2 and 3 of R.A. No.1405 are hereby reproduced for
reference, as follows; "Sec 2 All deposits of whatever nature with
banks or banking institutions in the Philippines including
investments in bonds issued by the Government of the Philippines,
its political subdivisions and its instrumentalities, are hereby
considered as of an absolutely confidential nature and may not be
examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government
official, bureau or office, except upon written per-mission of the
depositor, or in cases of impeachment, or upon order of a competent
court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials. or
in cases where the money deposited or invested is the subject matter
of the litigation," "Sec. 3. It shall be unlawful for any official or
employee of a banking institution to disclose to any person other
than those mentioned in Section two hereof any information
concerning said deposits."


REPUBLIC ACT No. 6426
AN ACT INSTITUTING A FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSIT
SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.
Section 1. Title. This act shall be known as the "Foreign Currency
Deposit Act of the Philippines."
Section 2. Authority to deposit foreign currencies. Any person,
natural or juridical, may, in accordance with the provisions of this
Act, deposit with such Philippine banks in good standing, as may,
upon application, be designated by the Central Bank for the purpose,
foreign currencies which are acceptable as part of the international
reserve, except those which are required by the Central Bank to be
surrendered in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act
Numbered two hundred sixty-five (Now Rep. Act No. 7653).
Section 3. Authority of banks to accept foreign currency deposits.
The banks designated by the Central Bank under Section two hereof
shall have the authority:
(1) To accept deposits and to accept foreign currencies in
trust Provided, That numbered accounts for recording and servicing
of said deposits shall be allowed;
(2) To issue certificates to evidence such deposits;
(3) To discount said certificates;
(4) To accept said deposits as collateral for loans subject to such
rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the Central Bank
from time to time; and
(5) To pay interest in foreign currency on such deposits.
Section 4. Foreign currency cover requirements. Except as the
Monetary Board may otherwise prescribe or allow, the depository
banks shall maintain at all times a one hundred percent foreign
currency cover for their liabilities, of which cover at least fifteen
percent shall be in the form of foreign currency deposit with the
Central Bank, and the balance in the form of foreign currency loans
or securities, which loans or securities shall be of short term
maturities and readily marketable. Such foreign currency loans may
include loans to domestic enterprises which are export-oriented or
registered with the Board of Investments, subject to the limitations to
be prescribed by the Monetary Board on such loans. Except as the
Monetary Board may otherwise prescribe or allow, the foreign
currency cover shall be in the same currency as that of the
corresponding foreign currency deposit liability. The Central Bank
may pay interest on the foreign currency deposit, and if requested
shall exchange the foreign currency notes and coins into foreign
currency instruments drawn on its depository banks. (As amended
by PD No. 1453, June 11, 1978.)
Depository banks which, on account of networth, resources, past
performance, or other pertinent criteria, have been qualified by the
Monetary Board to function under an expanded foreign currency
deposit system, shall be exempt from the requirements in the
preceding paragraph of maintaining fifteen percent (15%) of the
cover in the form of foreign currency deposit with the Central Bank.
Subject to prior Central Bank approval when required by Central
Bank regulations, said depository banks may extend foreign currency
loans to any domestic enterprise, without the limitations prescribed
in the preceding paragraph regarding maturity and marketability, and
such loans shall be eligible for purposes of the 100% foreign
currency cover prescribed in the preceding paragraph. (As added
by PD No. 1035.)
Section 5. Withdrawability and transferability of deposits. There
shall be no restriction on the withdrawal by the depositor of his
deposit or on the transferability of the same abroad except those
arising from the contract between the depositor and the bank.
Section 6. Tax exemption. All foreign currency deposits made
under this Act, as amended by PD No. 1035, as well as foreign
currency deposits authorized under PD No. 1034, including interest
and all other income or earnings of such deposits, are hereby
exempted from any and all taxes whatsoever irrespective of whether
or not these deposits are made by residents or nonresidents so long as
the deposits are eligible or allowed under aforementioned laws and,
in the case of nonresidents, irrespective of whether or not they are
engaged in trade or business in the Philippines. (As amended by PD
No. 1246, prom. Nov. 21, 1977.)
Section 7. Rules and regulations. The Monetary Board of the
Central Bank shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act which shall take
effect after the publications in the Official Gazette and in a
newspaper of national circulation for at least once a week for three
consecutive weeks. In case the Central Bank promulgates new rules
and regulations decreasing the rights of depositors, rules and
regulations at the time the deposit was made shall govern.
Section 8. Secrecy of foreign currency deposits. All foreign
currency deposits authorized under this Act, as amended by PD No.
1035, as well as foreign currency deposits authorized under PD No.
1034, are hereby declared as and considered of an absolutely
confidential nature and, except upon the written permission of the
depositor, in no instance shall foreign currency deposits be
examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government
official, bureau or office whether judicial or administrative or
legislative, or any other entity whether public or private; Provided,
however, That said foreign currency deposits shall be exempt from
attachment, garnishment, or any other order or process of any court,
legislative body, government agency or any administrative body
whatsoever. (As amended by PD No. 1035, and further amended by
PD No. 1246, prom. Nov. 21, 1977.)
Section 9. Deposit insurance coverage. The deposits under this
Act shall be insured under the provisions of Republic Act No. 3591,
as amended (Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation), as well as
its implementing rules and regulations: Provided, That insurance
payment shall be in the same currency in which the insured deposits
are denominated.
Section 10. Penal provisions. Any willful violation of this Act or
any regulation duly promulgated by the Monetary Board pursuant
hereto shall subject the offender upon conviction to an imprisonment
of not less than one year nor more than five years or a fine of not less
than five thousand pesos nor more than twenty-five thousand pesos,
or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court.
Section 11. Separability clause. The provisions of this Act are
hereby declared to be separable and in the event one or more of such
provisions are held unconstitutional, the validity of other provisions
shall not be affected thereby.
Section 12. Repealing clause. All acts, executive orders, rules and
regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly, without prejudice, however, to deposits made
thereunder.
Section 12-A. Amendatory enactments and regulations. In the
event a new enactment or regulation is issued decreasing the rights
hereunder granted, such new enactment or regulation shall not apply
to foreign currency deposits already made or existing at the time of
issuance of such new enactment or regulation, but such new
enactment or regulation shall apply only to foreign currency deposits
made after its issuance. (As added by PD No. 1246, prom. Nov. 21,
1977.)
Section 13. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved, April 4, 1974