LP standard bearer Mar Roxas III gestures during a press briefing at the LP headquarters in Balay, Cubao, Quezon City on Monday, May 2, 2016. GRIG MONTEGRANDE
“You can run, Mayor Duterte, but you cannot hide from the truth.”
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte can use all legal maneuverings to cover up the real amount of money in his alleged secret bank accounts but truth will eventually come out, Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas said on Monday.
The face-off between Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who revealed documents that Duterte had at least P211 in his bank accounts, and Duterte’s counsel Salvador Panelo at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Julia Vargas Avenue branch in Pasig City proved to be a dud after Duterte failed to show his transaction history.
Duterte’s camp only issued a special power of attorney (SPA) for Panelo to request the BPO a certification proving that no P211 million, at any time, has been deposited to his bank account.
“You can use all the legal maneuverings to sidestep the issue, pero lalabas at lalabas ang katotohanan. At ang sambayanang Pilipino, hindi gusto ng sinungaling; hindi gusto ang magnanakaw,” he said.
Roxas said Duterte is becoming like Vice President Jejomar Binay, invoking the latter’s same excuse to dodge corruption allegations.
“Hindi ba ang ‘legalan,’ ‘yan ang ginagamit ng mga may itinatago? Legalan ang ginawa, ginamit ni Vice President Binay. Sabi niya, ‘Kasuhan mo kami.’ Eh di ba ‘yan ngayon ang sinasabi mo din? Lahat! Word for word na sinasabi dati ni Vice President Binay, word for word kung paano itinago ang kanyang mga katiwalian at pagnanakaw—ngayon, ikaw mismo ang nagsasabi, word for word, ‘Kasuhan ninyo kami,’” said Roxas.
If Duterte was really sincere, Roxas said he could simply show his bank statements being issued monthly to account holders.
“Buwan-buwan po nasa internet ‘yan, pinapadala ng bangko ‘yan sa mga kliyente. Pakita mo lang po. Titigil na po ito lahat. Hindi na kailangan dalhin ito sa kung saan-saan pa,” said Roxas.
The former Interior secretary also hit the tough-talking mayor for being a pretentious leader, promising to fight stealing in government without pushing for any anti-graft and corruption measures.
“The people deserve real leadership. Hindi ‘yung leadership na salita lamang. Hindi ‘yung matapang sa salita lamang. Hindi ‘yung pakitang-tao lamang, pero nasa gawa. Ano ang ginawa mo Mayor Duterte? Zero.
“Sa kabila ng matatapang mong pananalita, sa anti-corruption, sa transparency, sa anti-graft, ‘pag tinignan natin ang sinabi mo kumpara doon sa ginawa mo, makikita na ang ginawa mo ay zero. Ang ginawa mo ay paghahadlang, pagboblock ng paghanap ng katotohanan,” he said. JE
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