MANILA — The bank accounts of President Rodrigo R. Duterte are open to the public except to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday.
“Malinaw na paulit-ulit na sinasabi ni Presidente, wala siyang tinatago. Ang ayaw lang niya, buksan ni Trillanes (The President has repeatedly said that he’s not hiding anything. What he doesn’t want is for Senator Trillanes to open them),” Roque said in a briefing in Palawan.
He made the remark after Duterte said Tuesday that he would allow the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to investigate his bank accounts.
“You, you want to know my bank accounts? I’ll give it to you, right now. Kayo, anytime, I will give you the authority. Honestly, wala kayong makuha (You, anytime, I will give you the authority. Honestly, you won’t get anything),” Duterte told the PACC members during their oath-taking in Malacañang.
“Pero ikaw kalaban ko sa politika (But if you’re a political enemy)? Do not, if you want evidence, do not get it from my mouth or make me do the effort,” he added.
Roque earlier said the Ombudsman has the power to open Duterte’s bank accounts even without the permission of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Trillanes, who filed a complaint over Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten wealth, earlier claimed that the Ombudsman junked the investigation because the ALMC refused to cooperate.
“So kung gugustuhin po, nagawa na rin po siguro, nakita na po siguro yan ng Ombudsman kung ano ang bank accounts ni Presidente Duterte (So if the Ombudsman wanted, or the Ombudsman could have probably checked President Duterte’s bank accounts already),” he added.
In a letter dated Feb. 12, Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang confirmed that the probe into Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten was already terminated on Nov. 29, 2017.
Roque earlier said that the Palace was “disappointed” by how the Ombudsman did not immediately disclose that it had junked the probe on Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.
“Medyo masama ang loob ng Palasyo (The Palace is quite disappointed). Na-terminate na pala ang imbestigasyon (The investigation was already terminated) because of lack of evidence bakit di inanunsyo (why wasn’t it announced)?” Roque said. (Azer Parrocha/PNA)
