(Eagle News) – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV revived old allegations made against President Rodrigo Duterte, accusing him of being “corrupt” for allegedly keeping billions of pesos in joint accounts with his daughter and sons.
Armed with alleged documents detailing transaction histories, Trillanes said the President and his family should explain their deposits.
“Ipinanganak daw siya na mahirap at kung anu-ano. Eto na . it’s time to unmask this guy,” Trillanes said as he presented to media the alleged bank transaction on Duterte’s bank accounts which he claimed amounted to P2.2 billion.
He questioned why the President did not declare this in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
Palace: Trillanes part of “noisy political landscape”
Malacanang meanwhile said Trillanes’ allegations were “part of the noise of the political landscape.”
In the documents distributed by Trillanes to media, he said that there were seven joint accounts held in the names
of Duterte and his daughter Davao City mayor Sarah Duterte at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Julia Vargas branch in Pasig City, nine joint accounts at BPI EDSA Greenhills and one joint account at the Banco de Oro Unibank branch in Davao City.
He claimed that at the BPI Julia Vargas, the deposits reached P1.74 billion in the joint accounts, P667.24 million at the BPI Edsa Greenhills branch, and P534,998 at the BDO Unibank.
“Ginawa niya joint Rodrigo Duterte or Rodrigo and Sara Duterte, ibig sabihin si Sara Duterte hindi makakapag withdraw ng pera pero si Rodrigo pwede mag withdraw. Pero kapag may nangyari sa kanya pwedeng makuha ni Sara kung anoman for health reason,” Trillanes said.
The senator also questioned where the President and his family got the money, saying that Duterte had always mentioned that he was just poor and that what he earned as Davao City mayor was not that big.
He said the accounts were from year 2006.
Trillanes also said the President’s partner, Honeylet Avancena, had P200 million in deposits, and questioned her bank transactions from year 2004 to year 2016.
He also questioned bank accounts of Duterte’s sons, Paolo and Sebastian, which according to him amounted to P110 million.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella branded Trllanes as a grandstander.
“If necessary and if — within the right context, due process, you know. But not just to respond to some grandstander,” Ernesto Abella said when asked if the President is open to publicizing his bank transactions.
Davao City mayor Sara Duterte and the President’s son, Davao City Vice-mayor Paolo Duterte all denied Trillanes’ allegations.
-Sarah, Paolo Duterte denies Trillanes’ claim
Paolo even branded Trillanes as “ugok” (rotten).
“If this senator, whose name is not worth mentioning, could prove that I have those millions in the said bank accounts, then I will give them all to the victims of the earthquake in Surigao,” he said.
Sarah meanwhile said in a statement: “If Trillanes can show where my alleged Php 121 million is right now and how it became illegal, kunin natin at ibigay ko sa inyo lahat.” (with a report from Meane Corvera, Eagle News Service)
