Following up a complaint by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, the Office of the Ombudsman confirmed today that it has found that at least PHP1 billion (US$20 million) has flowed through the accounts of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to a Reuters report, Office of the Ombudsman confirmed earlier this week that it has initiated an inquiry into activities in several of Duterte’s bank accounts prior to him being elected president in May 2016.
The Office of the Ombudsman’s revelation comes from the reports of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Duterte served as mayor, vice mayor, and a congressman in Davao City for two decades. He has been in public service since 1977 when he became Special Counsel at the City Prosecution Office in Davao City. As president, Duterte earns PHP222,278 (US$4,364) per month.
During the campaign season last May, Trillanes alleged that the Davao City government had 11,000 ghost workers or non-existent contractual employees that received PHP708 million (US$13.9 million) in 2014 alone. He said that this amount was laundered through bank accounts owned by Duterte and his children.
The Davao City government and its employees denied this.
Speaking at the 120th anniversary celebration of the Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday evening, Duterte said during the speech that he welcomes everyone to check his wealth.
“If somebody can prove that I have a deposit of even US$1 in Hong Kong, I will step down as president of the Republic,” he was quoted in Rappler. “I live by the values that I got from my father and mother,” he added.
If found to be true that he indeed has understated his wealth, it would run counter to the message of his campaign that he is the only candidate who allegedly grew up poor.
Malacañang Spokesperson Ernesto Abella told reporters yesterday during a press conference: “The President respects the internal processes of the Ombudsman as an independent body, and trusts its impartiality in the conduct of its fact-finding duty.”
Conchita Carpio-Morales, the Ombudsman of the Philippines, is recusing herself from the investigation because her nephew, Mans Carpio, is married to Duterte’s daughter and Davao City Mayor “Inday” Sara Duterte.
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