The public may get a chance to take a peek into President Duterte’s bank records soon.
The President is open to releasing his bank transactions following the hidden wealth allegations hurled by Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV, according to presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella.
“That’s his call. I guess he said anything but I suppose he will, yes,” Abella said over government radio when asked if the President will release the bank history of his Bank of the Philippine Islands account.
The President recently directed the Anti-Money Laundering Council to probe Trillanes’ allegations against him and show documents about his true financial status.
Duterte earlier rejected Trillanes’ claims that he has more than P2 billion in bank deposits, saying he will resign immediately if the senator can prove this. He said the allegations rehashed by Trillanes were “pure garbage.”
Duterte explained he only receives a salary and does not accept any allowances. “I avoided it and it will be so until the end of my term,” he said.
Presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo said it was up to the bank to release the President’s bank transaction amid an existing bank secrecy waiver.
Panelo said the waiver signed by Duterte to open his account at the BPI Julia Vargas branch in Mandaluyong City back in May is still “valid” and “never been recalled.”
“You must remember the documents signed by the President authorizing the bank to reveal his account so the ball is on the bank to do it, not on the President’s,” Panelo said during an interview with reporters in Malacañang. “Under the law, they cannot release but we already signed a waiver so that’s up to the bank,” he added. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)