MANILA – With his alleged Singapore bank accounts proven to be non-existent, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said it’s now checkmate for his accuser, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Mr. Duterte, pusoy ka na. Checkmate ka na. Wag ka na magpalusot (Mr. Duterte it’s checkmate. Stop making excuses),” said Trillanes, who has been highly critical of the president.
On Monday, September 18, Trillanes flew to Singapore to personally disprove the chief executive’s allegations that the senator has millions of undeclared wealth in several foreign accounts.
Duterte earlier claimed that the opposition senator owns a bank account at the branch of DBS Bank in Alexandra Retail Center in Singapore, containing “193,000.” The president did not specify the currency of the said amount.
According to Duterte, the senator’s alleged account with the DBS in Singapore is numbered 178000296012 and is under the name “Antonio F. Trillanes.”
The president also accused the senator of having several accounts in Shanghai, China; Zurich and Geneva, Switzerland; the Cayman Islands; and the British Virgin Islands.
But in a statement on Tuesday, September 19, Trillanes said the bank teller of DBS Bank in Alexandra Retail Center, Singapore, confirmed that “no such accounts exist” when he inquired about the bank accounts mentioned by Duterte.
The senator added that he also inquired if there was an account, either existing or closed, under the names “Antonio F. Trillanes IV” or “Antonio F. Trillanes.”
“Ang sagot muli ng teller ay (The teller responded), ‘No such accounts exist.’ Ito ay narinig at nasaksihan ng ilang media reporters na kasama ko sa pagtatanong ko sa bank teller (This was heard and witnessed by media reporters who accompanied me in inquiring the bank teller ),” Trillanes said.
The senator also tried to go to a branch of Hongkong Shanghai Bank Raffles but said such bank office does not exists.
Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and broadcaster Erwin Tulfo previously shared a post from media site “Davao Breaking News” saying Trillanes opened an account with “Hongkong Shanghai Bank” in its Raffles Branch in Singapore on July 2013.
“Pinuntahan naman namin ang HSBC sa Raffles Blvd. pero ATM lang ang meron doon (We then checked the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation at Raffles Blvd. but there’s only an ATM machine there). A quick check at the HSBC Singapore website showed that there is no HSBC Raffles Branch,” Trillanes added.
He then claimed that unfounded accusations against him were just a way to divert attention from the allegations that the president’s son, Paolo Duterte, and son-in-law, Manases Carpio, were involved in drug smuggling.
“Maliwanag na nagsisinungaling si Duterte at gawa gawa lang nila ang mga paratang niya na meron akong mga foreign bank accounts (It’s clear that Duterte is lying about his accusations that I own foreign bank accounts),” he said.
‘I made it up’
But hours after the senator debunked the president’s claim, Duterte admitted that he intentionally announced the wrong account number to “fool” Trillanes.
In a live interview on state-run PTV-4, Duterte said that the 178000296012 he previously mentioned was was merely a “product of his mind.”
“Trillanes, ganito ‘yan: Ang actual account number from Mocha and Erwin is 1178000281602. Binasa ko. Binawasan ko ng number. Wala ito imbento lang (Trillanes, this is how it goes: The actual account number from Mocha and Erwin is 1178000281602. I read it. I cut a number. I made it up),” the president said.
He then laughed at the senator for going to Singapore “out of desperate attempt” to disprove his claims.
“Kita mo siya ngayon (Look at him). He’s desperate. Pumunta ng Singapore, mag-gastos lang para propaganda lang (He went to Singapore and spend for a propaganda),” Duterte added.
In response, Trillanes said: “Buti naman umamin siya na sinungaling siya (Good thing he admitted that he’s a liar).”
