Duterte claims Trillanes offshore accounts being used for destab plot

President Rodrigo Duterte is claiming that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s alleged offshore accounts may be being used to destabilize the government.

“Based on analysis, the funds being laundered by Trillanes and his group may not be for their personal use, but rather is being caused for their cause and possibly to destabilize government by paying for witnesses and funding for destabilization operations,” he said in an interview that aired on state-run People’s Television on Friday.

The interview was taped on Tuesday night in Malacañang.

The President also revealed more details about Trillanes’ alleged bank accounts, including the names of his co-depositors like a "Fabian Go" and a "Roberto Fong".

Duterte also said Trillanes had closed his Singapore account before going to the city-state in an effort to debunk the President's claims.

“He terminated it online on September 8, 2017 past 10 p.m. then left for Singapore,” Duterte added.

Trillanes, for his part, dismissed as "inventions" Duterte's latest claims.

In a statement, Trillanes said he was willing to sign waivers for these new supposed accounts, which Duterte claimed in an interview that aired on state-run People’s Television on Friday.

"Mga bagong imbento ni Duterte. Anyway, that's an obvious diversion from his billion peso bank accounts that were confirmed by the Ombudsman," Trillanes said.

"Nonetheless, first thing on Monday, I would sign waivers for these accounts so that the AMLC can look into and examine them. Wala nang drama kasi wala akong tinatago. What about you Mr. Duterte kelan ka magpapakalalaki at pipirma ng waivers?" he added.

Trillanes had previously signed waivers for supposed offshore accounts circulated on social media, as well as one mentioned by Duterte in a previous interview. Earlier this month, the senator traveled to Singapore in an effort to debunk Duterte's claims then.

Duterte responded by saying he had simply made up the account number to fool Trillanes.

The senator, meanwhile, said that it proved that Duterte was a liar, and dared the President to sign waivers to open up his bank accounts.

Trillanes has filed a suit against Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman, accusing the Chief Executive of having hidden wealth in his bank accounts. —JST, GMA News