Hit by a money laundering scandal, the Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. saw a 24 percent decline in profit last year to P3.86 billion. The drop in profit was due to higher expenses as a result of the P1 billion fine imposed by banking regulators for its involvement in the Bangladesh Bank cyber heist. RCBC was used by cyber criminals to channel $81 million stolen from Bangladesh Bank last February. The country's ninth largest bank booked a net interest income of P15.7 billion, driven by a 11.4 percent rise in lending. ?2016 has been a very challenging year in the history of RCBC. But through it all, the Bank emerged stronger and more resilient, having tested to its full capability all its resources. Now more than ever, RCBC is better-equipped, having instituted stronger measures and controls to protect the interests of all its clients?, said RCBC president Gil A. Buenaventura.