Trillanes on destabilization ‘fund’: ‘Bagong imbento ni Duterte’

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Friday, September 29, that the latest allegation of President Rodrigo Duterte linking him to a destabilization plot was just the Chief Executive’s “new invention” to divert public attention from a probe into his alleged billion-peso bank account.

Trillanes made the statement on Friday night, after Duterte alleged in an interview aired on state-run PTV 4 that the senator kept foreign bank accounts to “possibly” fund a destabilization plot.

“Mga bagong imbento ni Duterte (These are new inventions of Duterte). Anyway, that’s an obvious diversion from his billion-peso bank accounts that were confirmed by the Ombudsman,” the senator said in a statement.

Trillanes said that he would sign waivers on Monday, October 2, so that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) can look into these alleged accounts as well.  He had earlier signed and submitted to the AMLC 12 bank secrecy waivers after Duterte accused him of owning foreign bank accounts.

“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 (There’s no more drama because I have nothing to hide),” he said.

Trillanes renewed his long-time challenge to Duterte to sign a bank waiver to allow the AMLC to scrutinize his bank accounts. The President has refused to sign any waivers.

“What about you Mr Duterte kailan ka magpapakalalaki at pipirma ng waivers (when will you man up and sign the waivers)?” asked the senator.

On Friday, Duterte claimed he received information on Trillanes’ alleged secret bank accounts  which were reportedly “being used for their cause and possibly to destabilize government by paying for witnesses and funding destabilization.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had earlier dismissed Trillanes’ alleged destabilization plot as “fake news.”

The President made the allegation as the Office of the Ombudsman investigated the plunder complaint that Trillanes filed against him in May 2016. (READ: Ombudsman hits back: We won’t be intimidated)

In an earlier interview with the PTV4, Duterte bared Trillanes’ supposed foreign bank accounts and even gave an account number in a Singapore bank, as well as the account balance.

After Trillanes disproved the existence of the account, Duterte later went on the same show and claimed he “just invented” the Singapore bank account. – Rappler.com