Trillanes’ bank accounts
PRESIDENT Duterte erred in using fake-news information -- a product of dubious and devious staff work -- in claiming that Sen. Sonny Trillanes had offshore bank accounts.
Mr. Duterte was forced into it, he had to respond to Trillanes’ quick check at a Singapore bank where he was told they had no account there in his name.
Duterte had claimed earlier that the senator had several bank accounts in several banks in several locations around the world. But soon it turned out there were either no banks with those names or there was something irregular about the account numbers.
Trillanes’ trip to Singapore validated his contention that he had no bank accounts in the banks mentioned.
Being a lawyer, the President usually has a legalistic escape from situations he puts himself in. But this time, he made a mistake in claiming Trillanes had offshore accounts, even giving specific account numbers.
That’s unusual for Duterte because he generally knows how to cover his tracks or make sure he has a legal way out over his pronouncements, even when it’s obvious he’s trying to finesse his way out of a bind.
By reading apparently bogus account numbers, Duterte put himself in an awkward situation where he appeared he had lied about the Trillanes “accounts.”
Indeed, Trillanes was quick to denounce Duterte as a liar after Trillanes had proven that he didn’t have any accounts in the Singapore bank mentioned by Duterte.
Mr. Duterte had to go on television to get himself out of the stew he had put himself in by claiming he was trying to fool Trillanes by giving out an intentionally incorrect bank account number. This is what I mean when I say it’s obvious when he’s trying to squeeze himself out of a tight spot. I don’t know how many people believed Duterte’s attempt to get out of trouble.
In his television attempt to spin his claim that Trillanes had hidden bank accounts, Duterte wasn’t his usual blustery self. Normally, he comes out with guns figuratively blazing when he throws a temper tantrum or goes on a tirade against someone. This time he was unusually subdued.
But Mr. Duterte should have known the information fed him was of doubtful veracity. Crafty person that he is, he should have been wary of the information. My hunch is that he wanted to get back at Trillanes so badly, he lost his inner skeptic’s cynicism and went ahead with the information.
To his credit, Trillanes was quick to take the bull by the horns by going directly to the bank mentioned as one of the institutions where he allegedly had an account to debunk Mr. Duterte’s claim of secret offshore accounts.
Tit for tat, my move for your move. Result: Stalemate.
In this continuing contretemps between Messrs. Duterte and Trillanes, not too many minds will be changed over the President’s error of judgment and actual use of bogus information.
Duterte fanatics don’t care whether the information is true or not. Rather, his fans will accept anything he says as scripture. This is the danger inherent in cultish situations where blind loyalty rules the day.
On the other hand, Duterte’s critics are as firm as ever in their belief that there were no such bank accounts owned by Trillanes offshore.
Ergo, a stalemate. Duterte believers versus Trillanes supporters. Which side will win in the end?
The truth, we hope.
*** Tantrum Ergo. Props to TV5 for showing games from the US National Football League. This gives the Filipino audience a chance to learn how football has been transformed by American athletics into a fast-moving, action-packed game that makes Americans go crazy every weekend during the autumn season.