Duterte’s latest bank account challenge

In his latest blast against his perceived enemies (“kayong mayaman”), President Duterte singled out ABS-CBN and mentioned a subject that continues to disturb him and causes him to commit one blunder after another in his desire to kill the issue.

That’s his undeclared wealth exposed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV less than two weeks before the May 9, 2016 presidential elections that Duterte won.

In his usual expletive-filled speech during the inauguration of the Northern Mindanao Wellness and Reintegration center in Malaybalay, Bukidnon last Aug. 3, Duterte said, “I’m, I am challenging ABS-CBN. Magpunta kami sa Central bank and I will ask the governor to open my account. Pindot lang ‘yan computer. I will not give it to a son of a b**** na kalaban ko. Why should I oblige you with… “

He was apparently referring to Trillanes who has challenged him to sign a waiver to open his BPI accounts which he said contained more that P2OO million during the years 2006 to 2014 which he did not declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth when he was Davao City Mayor as required by the law of all government officials.

Duterte continued: “Pero kung sila, okay. Nagnakaw ako, o sige. This is a challenge. This is a challenge which I am hurling at you now. Magpunta tayo ng Central bank, tayo. Pagkatapos sabihin ko buksan ‘yung computer at tingnan ko ‘yung account ko. Pagka-sumobra ng 40 million, I will step down. Pero ‘pag hindi umabot ng 40 million, maglinya kayo lahat diyan kay sampalin ko kayo isa- isa.”

The audience found Duterte’s tough talk entertaining, they laughed.

They probably didn’t think that the President was just pulling their leg.

As Fact-checked by VERA Files, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (which is the official name of Central Bank) on Roxas Boulvard does not keep transaction records of banks.

VERA Files said, “While it has supervision and regulatory powers on bank operations, BSP does not require them to submit list and transactions of its depositors. BSP’s primary responsibilities and functions are to provide the government “policy directions in the areas of money, banking and credit.” Its regulatory powers over banks include setting guidelines in establishing banks, assessing if it operates in compliance with banking laws and inquire its “solvency and liquidity.”

Duterte’s bank account exposed by Trillanes is with the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Julia Vargas branch in Ortigas Center. If he wants to tell the public the truth about his bank deposits, he should go to BPI Julia Vargas and get a copy of the transaction history for the years 2006 to 2015.

That’s the way to debunk Trillanes’ allegations, if they are indeed false.

The latest balance won’t debunk Trillanes’ allegations because everybody knows that you can withdraw what you have in the bank anytime. Trillanes said the transactions that flowed through the bank from 2006 to 2015 amounted to over P2 billion. A copy of the transaction history, not the latest balance, should prove or disprove his allegations.

Duterte’s denial of the BPI accounts has been one bungling after another, which is what happens if one id not on the side of truth. When it was first exposed, he dismissed it as “non-existent , garbage” and “a fabrication” of Trillanes.

On the same day he denied it, we deposited P500 in the bank account and we proved it existed: it’s a joint account of Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Duterte, his daughter.

To get back at Trillanes, Duterte last year invented fake foreign bank accounts of the senator and released it to media. He admitted to have released to media fake news after the senator personally went to the Singapore and got a certification from the bank that the account Duterte mentioned was non-existent.

This ABS-CBN challenge to go to BSP is silly.

Magsabi na lang kasi ng totoo.