Jamayka Rhose Pascual

Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s inconsistent statements on bank waiver backtrack have stirred doubts among lawmakers.

Photo Courtesy of ABS-CBN News.

During a House Quad committee hearing on November 13, Duterte continued to shift his stance on signing a bank waiver to disclose alleged P2.4-billion accounts.

According to House Assistant Majority leader Zia Alonto Adiong, Duterte’s initial assurance of an unconditional waiver later turned conditional as he introduced new arguments during the hearing that seemed questionable.

“So, is it now the understanding of the committee that when the former President was asked by Chairman [Romeo] Acop that the President be willing to sign any waiver, would that be safe to assume…that that would be ‘conditional’?” Adiong asked during the hearing.

Duterte initially declared his willingness to sign the waiver immediately and affirmed this during exchanges with lawmakers.

But then, Duterte cited the conjugal nature of the accounts as a hurdle, claiming they were joint accounts with his wife and could not be disclosed without her permission.

“I have to ask my wife to appear here and to ask her if she is ready to waive the bank secrecy law. The problem is: What is the purpose of this investigation? Am I under investigation? Why are you asking for my bank accounts?,” he added.

This claim was countered by former senator Antonio Trillanes, clarifying that the accounts were joining with Duterte’s daughter, vice president Sara Duterte, not his wife.

“Just for the record, the joint account is between Duterte and VP Sara Duterte – not the wife. Those are the bank records that are in our custody,” Trillanes said.

Duterte’s statements also conflicted on his financial standing and his claims that he lacks funds to travel to The Hague for the International Criminal Court (ICC) probe while simultaneously offering P1 million in seed money for police officers facing legal battles.

He remained steadfast, however, and stated that he would go to great lengths to prove his innocence.

“I’m willing to execute an affidavit, to summon the bank pursuant to my waiver. If there is an iota of truth, I will ask my daughter to resign and all members of my family. I will also hang myself in front of you,” he said.
Trillanes accused Duterte of bluffing, asserting that his repeated promises to sign the waiver have proven empty and demanding he follows through unconditionally.

“Just like what I anticipated earlier, that he’s been saying he is willing to sign a waiver. At the same time, it’s always a bluff. Now, he’s saying he will slap me first before he signs the waiver. I will agree, provided he should first sign the bank waiver,” Trillanes stated.

The committee plans to further investigate Duterte’s testimony on whether his commitment to the waiver was genuine or rhetorical.