Palace: Trillanes not ours

Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Antonio Trillanes answers questions during a one on one interview at the Philippine Daily Inquirer office in Makati City on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.
INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MALACAÑANG on Sunday denied any part in Sen. Antonio Trillanes’  exposé on the supposed huge bank deposits of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, even as it pressed the latter to explain his alleged undeclared wealth.

This developed as Trillanes released to media a list of 40 properties supposedly belonging to Duterte and his family in Davao City, Dipolog City, Parañaque City, Quezon City, San Juan City and Davao del Norte province.

The land titles were in the names of Duterte’s children Sara, Sebastian and Paolo but Trillanes said he was not sure if the lots had houses.

“There is no truth and no basis to that allegation. This is just pure speculation,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in response to Duterte’s camp which said the Palace was behind Trillanes’ allegation that Duterte had bank accounts that saw transactions of up to P2.4 billion over a nine-year period.

Speaking over government radio, Coloma said it would be better though for the mayor to “heed the call of the people and bravely face and give an explanation” than to “blame or sow intrigue.” Christine O. Avendaño; Niña Calleja