Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has revealed to media that his accounts at BPI Julia Vargas branch in Pasig City have a “little less” than P200 million in funds or closer to the first expose of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
“Definitely, it’s a little less than (P211 million),” said Duterte in an interview with reporters.
Duterte previously claimed, after he was forced to admit the existence of the BPI accounts, that these deposits contained no more than P17,000 to P50,000.
Trillanes had accused Duterte of receiving a total of P197 million in the undeclared BPI account on his 69th birthday on 28 March, 2014. He didn’t disclose it in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for that year.
“These were gifts for me. Others have already claimed that (a lot of cash) came in during my birthday,” said Duterte.
Duterte reasoned that he didn’t report the case in his 2014 SALN because he had spent all of the funds by the reporting deadline.
“That is as of. (By that time) it’s all gone. I spent it all. I used it for happy-happy,” said Duterte on why these BPI accounts were not included among the cash deposits he was mandated by law as a government official to declare in SALN.
Duterte had a roundabout way in justifying these undeclared millions in his deposits.
“I have an explanation for that. Hindi naman lahat ng pera namin ninakaw (Not all of our money were stolen). Where did I steal it? I’ve been mayor for 22 years, did you see a case (against me)? Ask anybody in Davao if I ever intervened in a transaction,” said Duterte.
On having so much money received for his birthday, Duterte Said: “It only means I have very rich friends. What else? Alangan naman hinoldup ko (Am I supposed to hold up someone).”
Source: POLITICS
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