Win or lose, Duterte must explain wealth

Vice presidential candidate Francis Escudero attends the Radyo Veritas covenant signing on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

WHETHER or not he wins as President, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has to face the issues surrounding his alleged hidden wealth, Sen. Francis Escudero said yesterday.

One issue, raised by Sen. Antonio Trillanes, concerns the allegation that the current survey frontrunner has undeclared accounts at the Bank of the Philippine Islands that contained more than P200 million in deposits at one point.

Another issue, brought up by Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez of the Daang Matuwid Coalition was the apparent acceptance by Duterte of “gifts” from his friends—among them multi-millionaire religious sect leader Apollo Quiboloy.

Duterte earlier quipped that some of his properties were gifts from Quiboloy.

“As the country’s leader, he has to answer… If there is an issue, he must explain. That is how it works in a democracy. Transparency and accountability is the name of the game,” Escudero said in a Senate forum.