Duterte to allow anti-corruption body to check his bank accounts

President Rodrigo on Tuesday, March 6, said that he would allow Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to check his bank records. (PCOO photo)

President Rodrigo on Tuesday, March 6, said that he would allow Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to check his bank records, saying that he would step down from his post if the body found more than P40 million in his documents.

“Kayo (You), anytime, I will give you the authority,” Duterte said in his speech.

But even before PACC conducts its probe, Duterte already anticipated that they will not get anything from it.

The Chief Executive even dared that he would resign from his post if his bank accounts contain more than P40 million.

“Magsobra diyan, I step down. Sige, kunin ninyo. Wala akong — at hindi ganun kalakas ang loob ko kung may masilip ka sa akin. Hindi ganun kalakas ang loob ko (If it exceeds, I will step down. Go ahead, get it. I have nothing — and I do not have the courage if you find something),” he said.

In October 2017, the President formed the PACC, an independent agency, to investigate corruption allegations against public officials. He said that members of the anti-corruption body can even seek help from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

“You want to know my bank accounts? I’ll give it to you, right now. Walang biro, sulutan ko. Or kayo may mga kapatid talaga kayo nasa Central Bank (No joke, I will give it to you. Or if you have siblings who work in the Central Bank). I will not take it against you, sige buksan ninyo ‘yung computer (Go ahead and open the computer),” Duterte stressed.

While willing to open his bank records to the PACC, the Chief Executive however said that he would not allow his critics to look into it.

“Pero ikaw kalaban ko sa politika (But if you are my enemy in politics)? Do not — if you want evidence, do not get it from my mouth or make me do the effort. G*** ka ba? Bakit ko gagawain sa iyo ‘yan (Are you stupid? Why would I do that)?” he said.

“You go to hell. But do not task me to do a thing na para lang maghanap ka ng (For you to be able to find evidence) — you go into a fishing expedition,” he continued.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV earlier accused Duterte of having ill-gotten wealth, urging the Senate to conduct an investigation on his bank records. He claimed that the President had bank accounts which contain billions of pesos and that the latter failed to declare his P211-million savings account at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

Duterte, however, defended that his accounts do not contain this large amount. He admitted that he has several bank accounts, but none of these hold millions.

“Meron ako sa BPI. Hindi ganun kalaki. Thousands lang (I have in BPI but not that huge. Only thousands). It could not go beyond even… Meron isa 17 [thousand], yung isa below 50 [thousand] (One account contains P17 thousand, while the other is below P50 thousands),” he said in April 2016.

Trillanes challenged Duterte to sign a waiver allowing the opening for scrutiny of his bank accounts, but the President refused to sign the said waiver as it would be self-incrimination and tantamount to giving in to the senator.