BY ADE S. FAJARDO
FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte had bragged that he was willing to waive the protective provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act and allow the Quad Com of the House of Representatives to look at entries to his deposits with the Bank of Philippine Islands in Pasig.
But as the hearing wore on last Nov. 13, it became evident that he was not willing to show his bank account, which contains, according to former senator Sonny Trillanes, deposits from Sammy Uy – one in Duterte’s alleged troika of drug-lord friends in Davao, the others being Michael Yang and Charlie Tan.
***
Wanting Duterte to sign a waiver is not new. It has happened before. He was asked to do the same thing in the weeks leading to the 2016 presidential elections when surveys were trending in his favor.
Duterte and his camp at first denied the existence of the account. But there was no use denying when kibitzers and media people deposited minimal amounts and BPI accepted them.
Duterte had to eventually relent that the bank account in fact does exist, mumbling admissions to the effect that it only contained a few million pesos. But the rest, they say, is history. He won as president with a comfortable margin of six million votes over his closest rival.
***
Upon questioning by Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, Duterte said that his willingness to sign a waiver was conditional. He said he could not agree to signing it because it would prejudice his wife who was a joint account holder.
That was easily debunked, of course. The Ombudsman’s records would ostensibly show that he held that account jointly with Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, not his wife.
As Trillanes pointed out, that would make the VP vulnerable because the bank secrecy law carves out an exception for impeachment cases.
***
Duterte is making noises about filing libel charges against Trillanes.
His camp also announced mulling a disbarment complaint against Rep. Jinky Luistro who has publicly urged the quad com to recommend the filing of a complaint for crimes against humanity versus Duterte, et al., using domestic law.
These are child knuckles against the looming warrants of arrest from either here or abroad, or even against possible impeachment proceedings that can expose an unholy dalliance with drug lords. That will make the drug war an international showcase of hypocrisy and doublespeak.
***
Former Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang is one of those awaiting vindication for the unjust acts committed against his person because he bravely performed his functions and did not kowtow to the wishes of an overbearing administration.
Duterte ordered him dismissed from the service in 2018 despite the argument that only Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales had the power to dismiss him.
Giving the President the power of dismissal over a deputy ombudsman would erode the Ombudsman’s constitutionally ordained independence from political offices.
***
Trillanes said Duterte was bluffing when he said he would waive secrecy over his BPI account.
The former president is famous for refusing to file a statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. He is not expected to sign off his clan’s political future./PN
