Trillanes strikes back in speech vs Duterte

SENATOR Antonio F. Trillanes IV, locked in a heated exchange with President Rodrigo R. Duterte over their respective bank accounts, on Tuesday afternoon disclosed in a privilege speech that he has unearthed alleged Duterte bank transactions amounting to PhP2,207,257,961.79 covering the period September 2006 to December 2015.

The accusation comes in the wake of Mr. Duterte’s pronouncement recently that he is willing to be shot if it is proven that he has financial wealth in excess of P40 million. “You can shoot me, overthrow me if you want kapag sumobra ako

doon (if I have more than that),” he told soldiers engaged in the fight against terrorists in war-torn Marawi City.

“I assure you, all in all, it would not go beyond P40 million,” Mr. Duterte declared during the induction of officers of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines at the SMX Convention Center Saturday night.

He elaborated that parts of the amount are from his inheritance and properties which Davao residents know about only too well.

Mr. Trillanes said he felt compelled to defend against attacks on his credibility by going to Singapore to personally disprove allegation of offshore bank accounts that Mr. Duterte has attributed to him.

In the privilege speech Tuesday, Mr. Trillanes claimed that, in April 1, 2014, four of Duterte’s accounts purchased so-called Life with Investment insurance policies worth P20 million each for a total of P80 million in just one day. — interaksyon.com with an additional report from the Philippine Star