Trillanes: I presented affidavit, but still no waiver from Duterte

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday called Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte a coward after the presidential candidate failed to send a waiver that would allow the opening of his bank accounts with the Bank of the Philippine Islands that allegedly has P2.4 billion in deposits.

"Walang silang ipinakita. Sinabi ko ito na ang aking affidavit. Sabi nila na pipirma sila ng waiver, wala silang dala... Talagang wala silang intensyon na pabuksan ito," Trillanes told Balitanghali in an interview after his brief meeting with Duterte's lawyer, Salvador Panelo, at the BPI Julia Vargas branch in Pasig City.

In admitting the existence of the bank account, Duterte said that he will agree to sign a waiver if Trillanes would execute a formal affidavit.

"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 last Thursday.

In the affidavit, which the senator shared to members of the media, Trillanes provided a copy of the summary of deposits in the accounts under the name of Duterte.

"I asked the help of accountants and finance specialists to tally and figure out just how much money was actually deposited and/or transferred into the subct bank accounts. Their final tally shows that a total of P2,407,272,103.75 flowed into the subject bank accounts from 2006 to 2015," the senator said in the affidavit.

The senator also disclosed in the affidavit that he got the information about Duterte's millions from a certain Joseph de Mesa.

"When everything checked out, I decided to go public with the information because I believe it is important for our people to know about the gross misrepresentation and pretentions perpetrated by Mayor Duterte that he is poor and he lives a simple life...," Trillanes said.

During the interview, Trillanes said that Panelo asked the BPI branch to produce the account balances of the accounts under the mayor's name.

He said he immediately left the bank after Panelo said that he was not authorized by Duterte to issue a waiver for the opening his bank accounts.

Trillanes added that the least the Duterte's camp could do was present a transaction history of the bank accounts to disprove his claim that the mayor has P2.4 billion in the bank accounts.

"Dito natin makikita na si Mayor Duterte ay matapang lang sa salita, pero sa katotohanan ay bahag ho ang kanyang buntot," he said.

He added: "Hindi niya na-dispute [ang mga akusasyon ko]. Kung mali ang aking accusation, puwede niya akong ora mismo na kasuhan. Siya po ang naduwag dito sa katotohanan."

Trillanes, who is running for vice-president and supports the candidacy of Sen. Grace Poe. said that voters who are rooting for Duterte should already think twice.

"Sa ating mga kababayan, sana po maliwanag na ho ito. Marami ho tayong mga kababyan na nalilinlang at sana ito ay senyales na ng kanilang pagmulat," he said. 

Duterte has been leading in presidential preference surveys.

Double hearsay

In an interview outside the bank, Panelo downplayed the affidavit presented by Trillanes.

He also told reporters that the source of Trillanes' information about Duterte's supposed millions was "double hearsay."

He said that according to the senator's affidavit, he got the information from De Mesa who heard the information from another source.

Panelo told reporters that what he asked from the bank was a certification that the mayor's bank accounts do not contain millions.

The lawyer said that the bank told him the request was unusual, but promised to get back to him in seven days.

"Bigyan niyo lang kami ng pagkakatoan na sagutin namin... Pag-aralan namin then we will respond accordingly," Panelo said, quoting the bank. —ALG, GMA News