FACT CHECK: Duterte waltzes on bank secrecy waivers

From declaring he was “willing to execute an affidavit” to allow the opening of his bank accounts to scrutiny, former president Rodrigo Duterte flipped more than three hours later to refusing to sign a waiver, with an assortment of conditions in between.

Appearing for the first time before the House of Representatives’ quad committee on Nov. 13, 79-year-old Duterte even dared that he would “hang [him]self” in the presence of lawmakers “if there is an iota of truth” to the allegation of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV that his bank accounts had deposits reaching P2.41 billion at one point, presumably from illegal drug proceeds.

Read FACT CHECK: Duterte’s joint bank account is with Sara, not his wife

The quad committee – composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Accounts, Public Order and Safety, and Human Rights – has been conducting a comprehensive joint investigation into the possible connection between illegal Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGOs), illegal drugs, extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and human rights violations in the course of the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war.

STATEMENT

During the 11th hearing of the quadcom, Trillanes presented ledgers of the supposed deposits to the bank accounts of the Dutertes – the former president, his children (Vice President Sara, Rep. Paolo, and Davao City Mayor Sebastian) and long-time partner Cielito Avanceña.

Reacting to Trillanes’ statement that the ledgers’ contents are “undeniable” because the bank has physical and soft copies of these, Duterte said:

“I’m willing to execute an affidavit, or kayo na lang, to summon the banks, pursuant to my waiver. Kung may totoo lang maski isa, I will hang myself in front of you… I will sign a waiver; all banks, pati ‘yung world bank ng America. Kung may isang totoo lang, katiting, I will resign and I will ask my daughter to resign and everybody in the family. That is my guarantee, and I will hang myself.”

Source: House of Representatives, ELEVENTH PUBLIC HEARING OF THE HOUSE QUAD-COMMITTEE – PART 2, Nov. 13, 2024, watch from 32:41 to 33:29

FACT

When lawmakers pressed Duterte to sign the waiver while the hearing was going on, he started giving various conditions – from being allowed to slap Trillanes to hanging himself along with the former senator, to claiming that it was a joint account with his wife, whose permission is necessary to open the account.

VFFC: Duterte waltzes on bank secrecy waivers by VERA Files

BACKSTORY

On April 28, 2016, Duterte denied the existence of the joint account with his daughter at the Julia Vargas branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands in Pasig City.

Read The evolution of Duterte’s BPI account

When a friend of VERA Files deposited P500 at the BPI branch in Alabang Town Center, the deposit slip showed Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Z Duterte as account owners.

Editor’s note: This fact check was produced with the help of a student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines as part of their internship.