THE camp of opposition presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay challenged his rival Rodrigo Duterte to allow the Anti-Money Laundering Council to look into his bank accounts after reports said the Davao mayor did not declare some P211 million deposited in a local bank in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
United Nationalist Alliance campaign communications director Joey Salgado also urged Binay’s other rivals to let the AMLC look into their bank accounts, as well as those of their spouses and children.
“The Vice President has said this last Sunday and we will say it again: If they really don’t have anything to hide, they should allow AMLC [to look at their accounts]. Let their SALN and income tax returns be disclosed,” Salgado said. “Sadly, none of them responded.”
Salgado recalled that Duterte’s camp had earlier claimed that the Davao City mayor signed a waiver that would allow his bank accounts to be examined—a detail Duterte seems to have forgotten in his latest statement.
On March 14, Duterte and his running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano signed a manifesto that stated that they “pledge to open all our bank accounts in local and foreign currencies both here and abroad in the interest of transparency and accountability.”
But Duterte has refused to sign a waiver so that the AMLC can look into the existence of a joint account with the Bank of the Philippine Islands that he allegedly shared with his daughter, Sara Duterte.
The vice president has earlier signed a bank waiver, giving the AMLC access to his bank accounts as well as those owned by his spouse and children.
“A month ago, VP Binay signed a waiver allowing AMLC to open his bank accounts, as well as those of his spouse and children. He urged all the other candidates to do the same, in the interest of transparency and honesty. The Vice President also released the copies of all his SALNs from 1987 as well as his ITRs,” Salgado said.
Last Sunday, a few hours before the presidential debate, Binay reiterated his call for fellow bets to sign the AMLAC waiver.
On the campaign trail, a visibly irritated presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe attacked Duterte for accusing her of bribing vice presidential candidate Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to smear the mayor.
Duterte had reportedly said Poe paid Trillanes P1 million to attack him because he has overtaken Poe in various opinion polls.
“Prove it,” Poe challenged Duterte. “Why would they say that I’m paying [Trillanes]? How am I paying? I did not know about this until it was brought up now.”
She also hit Duterte’s running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who claimed Trillanes was Poe’s “attack dog.”
Trillanes said the P211 million was in a joint account of Duterte and his daughter Sara in the BPI branch on Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City. He said eight cash deposits totaling P197 million were credited to the mayor’s bank account at the Julia Vargas branch on March 28, 2015, Duterte’s 69th birthday.
In a statement issued yesterday, Cayetano said the allegation is a desperate ploy to bring down Duterte and promote Poe, Trillanes’ preferred candidate.
“Why was he blaming me? Does he not know Senator Trillanes who was with him in so many hearings against PDAF [Priority Development Assistance Fund]?” asked Poe.
“Can you stop him if he [Trillanes] knows something?” she further said.
“Of all the people in the Senate. Of all our colleagues in the Senate, if there is one person that you cannot stop from investigating anomalies—whether you’re a friend—an ally or a foe—that’s Trillanes. Why doesn’t he [Cayetano] talk directly to him?”
After he accused Duterte Tuesday, Trillanes on Wednesday attacked his rival, Cayetano, who called him Poe’s “Poe-tector.”
He also said Cayetano should stop or he would be next in his exposés.
Trillanes also said a source had told him that the P211 million was only for 2014, and that there was more.
“Apparently, many people who love the country are scared that we may have a psychopath commander in chief,” said Trillanes, obviously referring to Duterte, and warned the mayor not to mess with him.
A spokesman for Duterte said he is considering filing charges against Trillanes.
Duterte, who was the guest speaker at a meeting with the Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines, denied the existence of the bank account.
“Believe me, that’s garbage,” he said. “You can check with the bank. You go there.”
Responding to reporters’ questions, he said he signed a waiver for his bank accounts but it does not cover the BPI account referred to by Trillanes.
“I signed a waiver, yes, but I will make it hard for Trillanes,” Duterte said.
He said Trillanes must show proof to back his claim.
“You [Trillanes] prove it. I will not make it easy for you. I will not play into your hands,” he said.
He then called the vice presidential candidate a liar and an idiot.
“I told you, he is a liar. He fabricated this,” the leading presidential candidate said.
Trillanes had earlier sought to be Duterte’s vice presidential running mate. Duterte, however, chose Cayetano instead.
Trillanes is doing this because he rejected him, Duterte said. “This is election. It’s the end game.”