Trillanes repeats claim Duterte had over P2B in bank accounts

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV press briefing at the Senate regarding Pres. Rodrigo Duterte bank accounts.
INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV revived on Thursday his allegation that President Rodrigo Duterte owned more than P2 billion in bank accounts as he reiterated his promise to resign from the Senate if proven wrong.

Trillanes noted that it has been months since he first exposed Duterte’s bank accounts during the campaign period but until now, the President has yet to accept his challenge to the media to disprove his allegation.

READ: Duterte accounts had P2.4B in transactions

“Kaya muli, inuulit ko ang aking hamon na patunayan nya na mali ako. Na meron syang mahigit P2 billion sa kanyang bank accounts at pag nailabas nya ito, yung transaction history nya at ako ay mali, ako po ay magre-resign dito sa Senado (That’s why I’m reiterating my dare for them to prove me wrong. He has more than P2 billion in his bank accounts and when he shows his transaction history and I’m proven wrong, I will resign from the Senate),” the senator said in a press conference at the Senate.

“Ito ay importanteng hamon dahil sa mga pangyayari ngayon lumalabas ang iba’t ibang eskandalo ng corruption sa gobyerno. At ito nga bukod sa napalabas na nila si dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo na isa sa naging simbolo ng corruption noong nakaraaang administrayon at ngayon naman ay gumagawa ng paraan ang ating gobyerno na pakawalan si Janet Napoles,” he said.

(This is an important challenge because the scandals of corruption in the government are emerging. Aside from releasing former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who has become the symbol of corruption in the past administration, the government is now finding a way to release Janet Napoles.)

Napoles has been charged with plunder and detained  for being the alleged mastermind of the “pork barrel” scam.

“So importante ito alang-alang na dun sa mga diehard supporters ni President Duterte na paniwalang-paniwala na sya ay malinis at hindi sya corrupt. Ipakita mo at i-accept mo itong hamon ko (This is important for the sake of President Duterte’s diehard supporters who strongly believe he is upright and not corrupt),”  Trillanes said.

Trillanes expressed doubts, however, that Duterte would accept his challenge as this would only expose that the President was a “corrupt official.”

“Sinasabi nya deretso sya magsalita, matapang sya sa mga issue. Ilabas mo, ilabas mo yung tapang mo dito. Ipakita mo na mali ako, na hindi lang ako nag-aakusa.. (He says he talks straight and bold regarding the issues. Show your courage here. Show me I’m wrong and I’m not just accusing)” he said.

“Alam mo yung mga diehard supporters nya, talagang paniwalang paniwala e. Alang alang na lang sa kanila, ipakita mo na malinis ka na opisyal ng gobyerno (His diehard supporters believe him. For their sake, show them you’re an upright government official),” he added.

The senator then gave the media documents that would allegedly show Duterte’s and his family’s bank transactions from as early as 2003 to 2016.

Aside from Duterte’s bank accounts, Trillanes said they were also looking at the President’s other alleged “illegal activities” when the latter was still mayor of Davao City.

The senator said he might expose these illegal activities within the next few weeks. RAM/rga