QC solon who asked about leaked bank document has no liabilities—prosecution

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Representative Jorge Banal has no liabilities despite being identified by an executive of the Philippine Savings Bank to have inquired about the leaked copy of a bank record allegedly owned by Chief Justice Corona, a spokesman for the prosecution said Thursday.

“Tingin namin kalat na kalat na ang document [We even think that the document has been leaked],” Marikina Representative Romero Quimbo said but added that even he was surprised when Annabelle Tiongson, PS Bank branch manager, told the Senate that Banal visited her to ask about the photocopied document.

“Honestly, I had to rush to him to find out what the score was,” said Quimbo.

Quimbo said that prosecutor Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali was castigating Banal when he arrived at the Senate but clarified that they understood in the end why the congressman decided not to inform them. He even defended Banal’s actions, saying that he had no liability over verifying the document.

Banal said that he did not notify his colleagues of his visit because he did not want to add to the strain they were already experiencing. He added “district ko kasi yung bank, medyo nagbabakasakali lang ako [the bank was in my district so I decided to try]. Tumahimik ako [I kept quiet], hoping it would not be brought up. I would have preferred tahimik na lang ako sa sidelines [that I was quiet on the sidelines].”

“He introduced himself, he left his business card. He has absolutely no violation. Many of us did not know of the document, we understand him and besides, Umali had a document,” said Quimbo.

Banal said that he discovered a folded one-page photocopy of the bank record in his driveway. He said that he went to the bank the next day to ask about the document.

Meanwhile, Umali told reporters that he still stood by his statement that he was handed the document by a “small lady” “because that is the truth.”