Open your bank accounts without conditions if you have nothing to hide.
This was the call made by independent presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe and running mate, Sen. Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero, to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte after he agreed to diclose his bank accounts at the Bank of the Philippine Islands Julia Vargas branch in Pasig City but with conditions.
“Eh kung sa tingin ko naman, kung walang itinatago, e bakit ayaw ilabas lahat? So ‘yon lang naman, kung wala namang itinatago e ‘di ilabas, ‘di ba, para at least matapos na ‘yan kasi ilang araw na lang ang natitira. Sa tingin ko, kung walang itinatago, mabilis pa alas-kuwatro inilabas na nila ‘yan,” Poe said.
Duterte’s camp only disclosed his bank account at the BPI on Julia Vargas Ave. covering the period from December 31, 2015 to March 31, 2016.
Duterte asked Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV, who exposed his alleged P211 million in undeclared wealth, to first execute an affidavit and name his sources before he divulges the details of his bank accounts.
Escudero joined Poe in urging Duterte to disclose his bank accounts in spirit of transparency and accountability.
“Hindi mangmang ang taong bayan, mararamdaman nila kung sino ang kapani-paniwala at hindi. ‘Yung walang tinatago, walang dapat na kinatatakutan,” he said.
Escudero said he will adopt a wait-and-see attitude on how would Duterte responds to Trillanes’ challenge to open his bank accounts.
“Walang rason para hindi nya sagutin ang hamon ni Sen. Trillanes, dahil utang nya sa sambayanan na sagutin ang isyu,” he said.
PDP-Laban spokesperson Paola Alvarez had asked Duterte how Trillanes “legally” procured the information from his source.
Trillanes questioned the move of Duterte’s camp, reminding the mayor and his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano, already signed a ‘‘general waiver’’ in March for the Anti-Money Laundering Council to look into their bank accounts.
On Friday, Duterte agreed to divulge his bank account records at the BPI Julia Vargas branch today. The mayor authorized his lawyer, Salvador Panelo, to open his accounts since he will be busy campaigning that day. (Charissa M. Luci)