Duterte to slap Trillanes with lawsuit

Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is considering the possibility of filing charges and looking into cases that can be filed against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after the latter claimed the mayor has P211M worth of undeclared assets.

Peter Laviña, Duterte’s spokesperson, told the media that the mayor’s legal counsel is in the process of discussing the next legal step with regard to the issue.

The leading candidate has already challenged the senator to prove his claim about the former’s failure to include the amount in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Duterte believes he has nothing to hide and that anybody can go to the bank and check his account transactions. “Maniwala kayo (Believe me). That’s garbage. You can check with the bank. You go there,” said Duterte.

It can be recalled that the mayor signed a waiver last March allowing the opening of bank accounts for public scrutiny.

However, because of Trillanes’ accusation, Duterte backtracked from his pronouncement. “Not anymore. I’ll make it difficult for Trillanes. It’s just a piece of paper. You prove it. Why will I give it to him?  I’ll take the waiver and I will tell him, ‘Prove it. I will not make it easy for you. I will not play into your hands. You prove it,’” Duterte told the media.

Sen. Trillanes disclosed to the public that Duterte allegedly has P211 million in a BPI account in Metro Manila in 2014. This account is said to be jointly owned by the mayor and his daughter Sara.

Meanwhile, Duterte told business leaders that Trillanes is just “fabricating” stories, including a story of him telling Trillanes how he easily took away the lives of the people kneeling before him. “I told you, he is a liar. He fabricated this,” Duterte said.

Duterte further claimed that the senator was spaid to attack him after the former took a lead in the pre-election surveys.

Source: KAMI.com.gh