PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte's jab at Senator Antonio Trillanes IV over his alleged offshore bank accounts is simply meant to "destroy" the senator's accusations hurled against the first family, Malacañang said on Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella was confident that the President has "substantial" evidence that would prove the supposed bank transactions made by Trillanes overseas.
Abella said Duterte has "higher ground" than Trillanes' "wanton" claims against the Chief Executive and his family.
"Regarding bank records, as of now, we don't have any updates. From where I understand him – the President – he would come out with something very substantial. Exactly what? I cannot say. But I know he knows from where he speaks," Abella told a press conference.
On September 9, the President revealed that he obtained copies of documents showing Trillanes' bank accounts abroad.
Duterte also threatened Trillanes that he will make public the latter's bank transactions "in a few days."
"[Trillanes is] foisting these lies that I was having P200 million [in bank transactions]. Now, [he targets] my child. We were the favorite targets," Duterte said at the closing rites of the 26th Mindanao Business Conference in Cagayan de Oro City.
"I am coming up with Trillanes’ bank deposits all over. I got it already. He thought I don't have the capacity to do it as well. So I'm giving you in a few days the number of deposits that he has with Chinese joint account. It's all over – Hong Kong, Australia, America," he added.
Trillanes, however, dismissed as "fake news" the President’s allegation against him.
Duterte made the revelation as Trillanes repeatedly threw allegations that the President and his family have ill-gotten wealth hidden in several bank accounts.
The senator insisted that Duterte has hidden wealth amounting to P2.4 billion, which he allegedly kept in several bank accounts from 2006 to 2015.
Trillanes has also accused Duterte's children, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, of having millions of pesos in their several bank accounts in Davao City.
Amid Duterte's pronouncement, Abella clarified that the President was not inclined to "destroy" Trillanes but was simply eager to "put a stop" to the accusations against him and his family.
Abella made the clarification amid speculations that Trillanes' fate might be similar to his colleague, detained Senator Leila de Lima who has been accused of being connected to drug syndicates.
In August last year, the President pledged to "destroy" a female government official, apparently referring to De Lima.
"[Duterte wants to destroy] the accusations, of course, not [Trillanes]. Whatever it is that he will want a stop to this [are] apparently wanton accusations that are being recklessly cast around. He may come up with substantial evidence that will effectively put a stop to these things," Abella said.
"In other words, he wants to make sure that things will not become sheer, reckless accusations. As simple as that," he added. (SunStar Philippines)