Sara Dutert said. (PNA Photo)
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday said that opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s accusation that her family has a ‘hidden ill-gotten wealth’ has no basis, and reiterated that the Senator is “lying.”
The Presidential daughter made the statement following the action of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s to file a resolution urging the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions, and currencies to scrutinize the bank accounts of the Duterte clan.
“I feel sad for Trillanes and his tireless attempt to rehash and recycle an issue that has already been proven as gossip. The senator cannot file a case because there is no basis for it. I have said this before and I am saying it again, Trillanes is lying,” she said in a statement Monday.
“I am starting to believe the rumors that Trillanes is hooked on something that must have disrupted his sanity, destroyed his dreams, and triggered his obsession with President Duterte,” the mayor added.
Sara slammed Trillanes for his failure to present a certain Joseph de Mesa who was included in his affidavit earlier filed before the Ombudsman. De Mesa, whom Trillanes claimed as a former Rodrigo Duterte supporter supposedly gave the senator documents containing information that the president’s BPI Julia Vargas account contained P211 million.
Trillanes, citing bank documents in a VERA Files report, alleged that Duterte and his daughter failed to fully disclose the unexplainable wealth in their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.
“I have said this before and I am saying it again – Trillanes is lying. He has the penchant for parading his star witnesses in the Senate and yet he cannot even produce Joseph De Mesa, who, according to his affidavit, was his source of information,” Duterte-Carpio said.
“He also says AMLC (Anti Money Laundering Council) is the source of his documents and yet he twits President Durerte for not executing a waiver for AMLC. So how come he has a copy of a purported AMLC document without the waiver?” she added.
The accusations of Trillanes resurfaced following the decision of the Malacañang to suspend Carandang for 90 days for grave misconduct and other administrative offenses for disclosing the Dutertes’ alleged bank records.
Meanwhile, Senate President Aquilino “Kiko” Pimentel III said that it would be a “tragic waste of time” for the Senate to investigate the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Dutertes.
“If he really has the evidence then he should bring an actual case in the proper body. Senate is not the body for that. We are part of legislative action,” Pimentel said.