(Eagle News) — Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo dismissed a group’s calls for President Rodrigo Duterte to sign a bank secrecy waiver, noting that he already executed one as early as last year which was still binding.
“Matagal nang sinasabi ni [Senator Antonio] Trillanes ‘yan eh (ill-gotten wealth). Nag-execute ng waiver si Presidente noong Mayo pa of last year at napatunayan doon sabi ng BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands), ng bangko na wala siyang ganung pera labinglimang libo lang ang pera niya at that time,” Panelo said in an interview over radio dzBB in response to Tindig Pilipinas’ calls.
The group held a rally at the University of the Philippines Diliman for this purpose.
It was attended by members of the opposition, including Trillanes.
According to Panelo, the special power of attorney executed by then-presidential candidate Duterte remains valid.
“Nangungulit lang sila, wala na kasing issue,” he said.
Apart from this, in the first place, based on the law, the accuser should be the one to produce the evidence against the person being accused, he said.
He noted that the President was himself a lawyer and thus stuck to the rules.
“..Pagkatapos kukuha sila ng ebidensiya doon mismo sa inaakusa nila. Hindi naman pupwede ‘yon,” he said.