MARCH 21, 2026 — The Court of Appeals has frozen the assets of Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque and his daughter Macy after the Anti-Money Laundering Council flagged billions in “unusual” cash flows tied to their construction and petroleum businesses — a move that raises urgent questions about corruption, governance, and accountability in Pampanga and beyond.

Mayor Rene Maglanque, already suspended over the Malampaya fund scam, now faces a fresh storm. The CA’s freeze order covers multiple bank accounts, an insurance policy, and a Toyota Land Cruiser, while Macy’s six accounts have also been locked down. 

At the heart of the probe is Globalcrete Builders, where Maglanque holds a 98.65% stake. The firm bagged ₱3.4 billion worth of infrastructure contracts between 2018 and 2025. Investigators noted that Globalcrete encashed ₱2.8 billion in just a few years, dwarfing the ₱702.7 million processed in the prior seven years.

The daughter’s corporate trail

Macy Maglanque’s ventures are equally eyebrow-raising. She heads MBB Global Properties and incorporated two petroleum firms — Fuelteq Petroleum OPC (2021) and Globalmacy Petroleum OPC (2023). 

Fuelteq alone processed ₱115.5 million in transactions despite a declared capitalization of just ₱1 million. Regulators suspect these firms were used for “layering,” a classic money laundering tactic to obscure the origins of funds.

Now, this isn’t just about one mayor and his daughter. It’s about how billions in public contracts and aid funds can allegedly be diverted, laundered, and hidden in plain sight. The AMLC’s findings echo a familiar narrative: politicians leveraging public office to build private empires, while we, the public, struggle with crumbling infrastructure and delayed disaster relief.

The Sandiganbayan has already suspended Maglanque over nearly 200 criminal charges tied to the Malampaya fund scam, underscoring how deep the rot may run.

If billions can move so freely through questionable channels, what does that say about the safeguards meant to protect public money? And if a mayor in Pampanga can allegedly weave such a financial web, how many other local officials are quietly doing the same?

The Maglanque freeze order is a another est of whether institutions like the AMLC and CA can truly hold power to account or whether this will be another scandal that fades into the background noise of Philippine politics.

How many more Maglanques are out there, quietly cashing in while the rest of us pay the price?

(Image: History of Candaba, Pampanga)