Trillanes: ‘Expert’ sold fake info about bank accounts to Palace official

A person who claimed to be a “financial forensic expert” was the source of the false bank information on Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and sold it to the Duterte administration, the senator said on Tuesday.

In his privilege speech, Trillanes said a certain Daniel “Snooky” Cruz, whom the senator said claimed to have access to any bank account in the world, sold the information to a Malacañang Palace official for P10 million.

“Base sa ating bubwit, ay itong si Mr. Cruz ay ibinenta itong impormasyon na ito. Ginawa niya ito dati pa, or last year for that matter, ay nag-alok siya at nagbenta rin siya ng ganitong fake bank accounts diumano ni Sen. Leila de Lima at tingnan niyo ngayon ang pagkakaiba,” Trillanes said, showing Cruz’s photo with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang.

[Based on our informant, Mr. Cruz sold this information. He had done this before, or last year for that matter, when he offered and sold this supposed fake bank accounts by Sen. Leila de Lima, and see the difference.]

Trillanes said that the information was offered to a Cabinet official. But the deal did not push because some government found the information to be fake.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV delivers a privilege speech at the Senate on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. (Photo from a Senate livestream recording)

The senator said his alleged account and De Lima’s were similar – both were supposed to be in DBS Bank Alexandra branch in Singapore.

“Hindi pa nadala itong si Mr. Snooky Cruz. Pinalitan lang niya yung ibang detalye at binenta ulit sa mga taga-Malacañang this time,” Trillanes said.

[Mr. Snooky Cruz was undaunted. He just changed some details and sold it again to Malacañang.]

“Ang aking impormasyon ay binenta niya ito ng umaabot ng P10 million. Pero ang benta raw actually, ang napunta kay Mr. Cruz, around P3 million. So may kumita na mga middlemen. Ewan ko na lang kung sino man yang mga kumita na yan,” he added.

[I have information that he sold it for P10 million. But actually only P3 million went to Mr. Cruz. So some middlemen earned something. I just don’t know who these people are.]

Duterte earlier claimed that Trillanes had offshore bank accounts, but the senator immediately disputed it by flying to Singapore and checking with the bank involved. The DBS Bank Alexandra branch said no such accounts existed.

The President then said he only made up the information.

/atm