Trillanes eyes rap vs AMLC head over ‘cover-up’ of Duterte bank records

Antonio Trillanes IV —EDWIN BACASMAS

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV bared on Thursday his plan to file a case against the head of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for alleged “cover up” in connection with President Rodrigo Duterte’s bank records.

“Plano ko rin pakasuhan si AMLC Exec. Dir. Racela sa pag-cover-up at pag-deny na ang mga flagged bank transaction documents ay hindi galing sa AMLC samantalang ito ay nakasaad sa minutes ng AMLC meeting noong May 2016 na ito ay parte ng MOA with the Ombudsman to provide such documents for intelligence purposes,” Trillanes said in a statement.

(I plan to sue AMLC Exec. Dir. Racela over covering-up and denying that the flagged bank transaction documents weren’t from AMLC while it was indicated in the minutes of the AMLC meeting in May 2016 that it was part of the MOA with the Ombudsman to provide such documents for intelligence purposes.)

“Matatandaan na naitalaga lang ni Duterte si Racela sa kanyang position noong January 2017 lang, kaya hindi sakop ng kanyang termino ang mga panahong ‘yun,” he said, was referring to AMLC Executive Director Mel Georgie Racela.

(Remember that Duterte appointed Racela to his post only in January 2017, that’s why his term doesn’t cover that time.)

Last year, the Council rejected Trillanes’ request to release the President’s alleged “flagged or reported” bank transactions as it would violate the Bank Secrecy Law.

READ: AMLC rejects Trillanes’ request for Duterte bank transactions

Trillanes mentioned his plan when he issued the statement, expressing his full support to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales’s decision not to enforce Malacañang’s suspension order against Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang for allegedly disclosing Duterte’s bank records.

“I fully support the position of Ombudsman Morales to defy what is clearly an illegal and unconstitutional order by Duterte and his minions to suspend ODO Carandang,” he said.

“Maling-mali si Duterte dito kahit saan mo tingnan. Bukod pa sa independent ang Ombudsman and her deputies, ayon sa ating Constitution, pinasuspende niya ang taong nagiimbestiga sa mga nakaw na yaman niya. Maliwanag na obstruction of justice din ‘yan,” said the senator.

(Duterte is very wrong here, no matter which way you look at it. Besides the fact that the Ombudsman and her deputies are independent, according to the Constitution, he suspended those investigating his stolen wealth. It’s clear that this is obstruction of justice.) /je