Trillanes files resolution seeking to probe alleged Duterte wealth

FILE: Trillanes said in a statement that the president should address the allegations “squarely and to stop “fooling” the Filipinos. (Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a resolution on Monday formally asking the Senate to start the investigation into the alleged ill-gotten wealth of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Trillanes’ proposed resolution seeks to probe the bank accounts under the name of Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio showing the supposed undisclosed “covered transactions” or transactions exceeding Php 500,000.00 which may have violated the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA).

Trillanes said in a statement that the president should address the allegations “squarely and to stop “fooling” the Filipinos.

“If he has nothing to hide, he should bare it all and sign the waiver,” the senator said.

“On the contrary, he has been dilly-dallying in his statements, and instead has been bluffing the people by publicly ordering AMLC to investigate his alleged bank accounts, although we all know that AMLC would not do it unless he signs a waiver on bank secrecy,” he added.

Before departing for India last week, Duterte said in a speech that he would want the Congress to “proceed” with its investigation into his supposed hidden wealth.

However, Duterte and his daughter had repeatedly denied Trillanes’ claims.

“And now, despite Duterte’s continued denial of the existence of his alleged undeclared wealth, he suspended Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melcor Carandang for supposedly releasing his bank documents from AMLC. What is there to leak when they deny such documents being released by AMLC?” Trillanes said.

“With this resolution, I am accepting President Duterte’s challenge to investigate his alleged ill-gotten wealth to once and for all reveal the truth on this issue. The public wants to know the truth and it’s in the hands of the Senate to uncover it,” the senator added.

In the proposed resolution, the senator cited the report of Vera Files noting that Duterte and Davao and Duterte-Carpio failed to completely declare in their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) their joint deposits and investments, which exceeded Php100 million, under the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

The Vera Files’ report showed the transactions in their bank accounts included a P48.17 million placement in 2006 that grew to P55.13 million by 2013; a P40.55 million investment in 2009 that stood at P41.72 million in 2013; about $220,000, roughly P10 million, from 2006 to 2012; the purchase of P80 million in insurance policies in 2014; and a P16.85 million investment which begun in 2014.

“With this resolution, I am accepting President Duterte’s challenge to investigate his alleged ill-gotten wealth to once and for all reveal the truth on this issue. The public wants to know the truth and it’s in the hands of the Senate to uncover it,” the senator added.

It can be recalled that Trillanes initially questioned Duterte’s ill-gotten wealth during the height of 2016 May Presidential elections and a plunder complaint against him before the Ombudsman in the same year.

Meanwhile, Malacañang described Trillanes’s move as a “broken record.”

“That’s an old tune. That was [raised] during the elections…Is there anything new? It’s like a broken record,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a text message.