Presidential candidates Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS/RAFFY LERMA
TARLAC CITY, Philippines—Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s refusal to sign a waiver allowing the opening of his bank accounts and transactions may be an indication that the allegations against him are true, Senator Grace Poe said on Monday.
Taking up Duterte’s challenge, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV presented an affidavit accusing Duterte of owning P2.4 billion in various bank accounts for the past nine years —from 2006 to 2015.
READ: Duterte accounts had P2.4B in transactions
Asked what she thought of Duterte’s refusal to issue a waiver, Poe said: “Ibig sabihin siguro totoo talaga yung sinasabi ni Senator Trillanes (It means that perhaps what Senator Trillanes is saying is true.).”
Trillanes, an independent vice presidential candidate, is supporting the presidential candidacy of Poe, who is running with Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
Like Trillanes, Poe and Escudero are independent candidates.
Asked what she thought about Duterte’s statement that he would only open his bank accounts and transactions if his rivals would do it first, Poe said: “Syempre, ang dating sa tao noon nagpapalusot (Of course, people would think that he is only making excuses.).”
READ: Duterte lawyer asks BPI for certificate to belie Trillanes claims
“Pero para sa akin ay ito, sa aking lahat ng pinagdaanan, pinakamadali para hindi ka na magkaproblema, kung ano ang meron ka na pwedeng patunayan na ikaw ay inosente, ipakita mo di ba kasi makakatulong sa’yo yun.”
(But I think, with all the issues I’ve been through, the easiest thing to do so you would not encounter any problem is to show whatever evidence you have to prove your innocence because it would help you.)
“At saka syempre, nakakabahala din na magkaroon ng isang lider na magbibitiw ng isang salitang napakahalaga katulad ng may disclosure nga na sila ay magpapakita tapos sila rin ang babawi,’ she added.
(And of course, it would be disturbing to have a leader who would flip-flop on his words such as having a disclosure [that they would open the account] but would later on retract it.)
Poe urged the public to scrutinize the candidates, especially those promising to bring “real change” once elected.
“Sa ating mga kababayan, isipin din naman nating mabuti, gusto natin talaga ng pagbabago pero sino ba talaga ang may tunay na pagabago? Dahil ito’y gawain din mga matagagal na sa pulitika e, alam na nilang paikutin ang sistema e ako nga ay talagang lahat ng aking maaring isumite, sinumite ko na,” she said.
(To our countrymen, let us ponder, if we want change, who would really bring it? This has been the practice of those who have been in the government for so long, they know how to twist the system. That’s why I have submitted everything I could.)
Like other candidates, Poe said she is not perfect but she said her life is an open book.
Asked how a Poe presidency would differ from Duterte’s, Poe promised a more peaceful and progressive Philippines.
“Yun nga nakita nyo bukas ang aklat ng buhay ko, sila na mismo ang mag determina. Hindi ako perpekto, kahit na sinong kandidato hindi, pero pag nagkamali, inaamin (ko),” she added.
(As you can see, my life is an open book, they can determine it for themselves. I am not perfect, every candidate is not, but when I committed any wrongdoing, I admit it.) RAM/rga
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