BPI denies breach of client confidentiality

In light of the recent controversy involving an account of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), the Ayala-led lender on Friday denied allegations of a breach of client confidentiality.
 
"Our internal investigation reveals that there has been no such breach. BPI continues to have one of the most highly regarded data protection practices in the industry, and we are committed to protecting client information and preserving the trust bestowed on us by our clients all these years," the lender said in an emailed statement on Friday.
 
Vice presidential candidate Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday claimed Duterte was keeping P211 million in a joint account at BPI Julia Vargas Ave. branch in Pasig City. Trillanes noted the presidential hopeful did not declare the account in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
 
Duterte's co-depositor is his daughter Sara.
 
Trillanes challenged Duterte to sign a bank secrecy waiver to open the transactions under the account to public scrutiny.
 
"Tignan natin if he signs the waiver of bank secrecy law. For that matter, I challenge him to sue me for libel, because when he does this then his bank account is now subject of litigation and therefore is exempted for bank secrecy," he said.
 
Duterte, however, didn't call the Trillanes challenge.
 
"Hindi ako uto-uto, bakit ako magpapadala sa laro ni Trillanes?" he said. "Make a statement under oath. Write in there saan, kailan nakuha ang info, and for what purpose. File siya ng kaso, buksan ko 'yan," Duterte said.
 
Duterte spokesperson, Peter Laviña, dismissed the allegations and claimed that the bank account is a product of Trillanes' "fertile and malicious mind."
 
But on Thursday, Duterte admitted he owned the BPI account but claimed the deposits were in the thousands and not in the millions.
 
On Friday, Duterte gave is lawyer Salvador Panelo the authority to open the bank record for the specific account Monday, May 2.
 
"At least I can tell you na hindi talaga P200 million. Bahala na sila ni Sal Panelo mag-argue diyan," Duterte said. – VDS, GMA News