Duterte to open bank accounts in due time

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. (PCOO photo)

DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to open his bank accounts to end accusations on alleged PHP211 million in bank deposits.

He, however, will not make it easy for his critics.

“But I will not give it to you on a silver platter. Hanapin ninyo (Look for it),” the President said during the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Davao Installation of its new members on Saturday at the SMX Convention Center.

Duterte said he will show it in due time as he vents ire on the Office of the Ombudsman’s use of falsified and fabricated documents on bank transactions by the Dutertes purportedly from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

This, as he challenged Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Supreme Court Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno to resign with him.

Together, Duterte said they can go to Congress and sign their resignation.

“Let us all open the books – pati inyo (and your [books]),” Duterte added.

The President vented ire on the recent claim by Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang that he has the AMLC certification on final validation on the bank transaction records of the first family, following the flow of money through deposits and withdrawals of Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, Sebastian, and joint accounts with Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Carandang, who was authorized by Carpio-Morales to conduct the investigation, was quoted in news reports that the records obtained by the Ombudsman even included the President’s common-law wife, Honeylet Avancena, and their daughter, Kitty.

It stemmed from the complaint filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on the alleged multi-billion wealth of the Dutertes.

Trillanes earlier claimed that the Office of the Ombudsman was in possession of AMLC records regarding Duterte’s alleged flagged bank transactions in various bank accounts involving PHP2 billion in deposits and credits.

But on Saturday, Duterte read before the Davao lawyers a certification from AMLC stating that it has received on Sept. 6, 2017, the letter of Carandang dated Aug. 17, 2017, requesting for an investigation on subject accounts.

Contrary to the claim of Carandang, AMLC said it is not the source of the documents and information attached by Trillanes in his complaint and it has not provided the Ombudsman with any report as a consequence of any investigation of said accounts.

In the same letter read by the President, AMLC has yet to evaluate the request of Carandang for an investigation, the AMLC.

“Suffice it to say that in the attachment to the Complaint, the alleged debits and credits representing outflows and inflows of funds were added together, thus, the resulting total amounts are wrong and misleading.”

Duterte reiterated his covenant to the people he will resign if accusers can show evidence of such bank deposit. He also reiterated he is ready to lose the presidency, honor, and his life (fighting for his country).

He said the people could go to the Land Bank of the Philippines where his salary go. He blasted Carandang for making the people believed that he already obtained from AMLC a certification.

Duterte said this scheme of discrediting him is the same scheme used in ousting then-Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona.

“What happened to Corona is happening to me,” he said.

He also lambasted IBP National President Abdiel Dan Elijah over remarks to Duterte, not to be onion-skinned even in the face of fabricated and illegally obtained evidence.

The President hinted falsifying documents is a crime and that no one is exempt from the law.

“So there are lies based on baseless hundreds of millions and even if I wanted to steal, where would I get that money?” he said.

“You know, politics plays a very important role. ‘Yung hindi makatanggap ng kataluhan nila (those who cannot accept their defeat) would keep on hammering because they wanted to pull you down and erode your leadership. And that cannot be cured by onion-skinned,” he added.

Earlier, Duterte admitted having inherited substantial properties which were divided among the siblings. The inheritance was a product of his father’s hard work when the family migrated from the Visayas.

“We had an ice plant and a lumber yard. Construction was booming at that time in Davao. It was a developing city. But when he died, we could not agree with each other, the brothers and sisters, so we decided to sell all,” the President said.

“At sinabi ko (and I said), if you… I authorized everybody, everybody as in everybody to look — to dig into the IBAA, Insular Bank of Asia and America. That’s the UnionBank now. You’d find there that ‘yung fourth year pa kami, I had a million already. ‘Yan ang totoo (You’d find there that when I was fourth year, I had a million already. That’s the truth),” he said.