Malacañang on Monday challenged the media group Vera Files to prove its allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte accepted gifts amounting to millions of pesos in 2014.
A Vera Files story published Sunday alleged that seven deposits totaling P193,705,615.88 were credited to the joint bank account of President Duterte and his daughter Sara.
The money was deposited on Duterte’s 69th birthday on March 28, 2014, at BPI’s Julia Vargas branch in Ortigas Center, Vera Files said.
“They say, ‘One who alleges must prove.’ If you cannot prove, don’t speak because you are merely defaming him, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
The VERA Files report was based on the bank records submitted by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for the plunder case he had filed against Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Is that true? Does [Vera Files] have any evidence to that effect? Many people said the President has millions of pesos but those weren’t true,” Panelo said.
Duterte initially denied the existence of the bank account, but later said those bank deposits meant “he has many rich friends.”
In response to Panelo’s challenge, VERA Files president Ellen Tordesillas noted Duterte’s confirmation of those bank accounts.
“The President didn’t deny the information cited in my column when it was first exposed in 2016. He even confirmed it with his remark about having ‘rich friends.’ Secretary Panelo should take time to read my column carefully. Everything is there,” she told Manila Standard in a text message.
Panelo said Duterte does not personally receive gifts despite the Chief Executive’s earlier pronouncement that policemen could accept thank-you gifts for their work.
“What I know is that when someone sends a gift to him, he will ask the OP to receive it. The government of the Philippines will receive the gift,” Panelo told reporters.
He recalled an instance where a painter offered his artworks to Duterte who later asked for a courtesy call.
The President refused to accept the artworks and directed the painter to send them to the OP, Panelo said.
Duterte drew flak weeks ago after he said he would not sanction policemen accepting gifts because the act was not considered bribery.
“If they give you a gift, accept it. It is not bribery because… It cannot be bribery because it is allowed by law,” he said during his speech on Aug. 9 before police officials in Camp Crame.
Republic Act 3019, commonly known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, prohibits government officials and employees from accepting gifts or presents except those which were “unsolicited” or whose values were insignificant.
• The Civil Service Commission must set guidelines on the gifts that may be received by state workers, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Monday.
He told reporters that, short of altering relevant laws, the CSC may define under its implementing rules what gifts may or may not be acceptable.
“If I may suggest (to) the CSC commissioners, they may have to set specific guidelines to clearly delineate when a government or public officer is exceeding the bounds of ethics,” he said.
Instead of giving public servants gifts that may be perceived as valuable in appreciation for a job well done, Senator Panfilo Lacson suggested instead to the benefactors to make an official donation to the institution of the beneficiaries.
He said this could be one of the ways the anti-graft laws could be revisited or refined so those could be more attuned to Filipino culture.
“Our laws should take into account Filipino values such as utang na loob, as there are Filipinos who may be offended if their gesture of gratitude is declined,” said Lacson who served as chief of the Philippine National Police. With PNA and Macon Ramos-Araneta