Binay dares rivals to waive rights to bank secrecy

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay reiterated his challenge to fellow presidential candidates to allow the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to look into their bank accounts, as well as those of their spouses and children.

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer yesterday made the call following reports that presidential frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte did not declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) some P211 million he allegedly deposited in a local bank.

Last month, Binay signed a waiver allowing the AMLC to open his and his family’s bank accounts.

The waiver also stated that Binay was willing to submit himself to a lifestyle and government service and performance check.

UNA communications director Joey Salgado said if the Vice President’s rivals really have nothing to hide, they should submit themselves to AMLC probe.

Salgado also urged Binay’s opponents to release their SALN and income tax returns.

“Sadly, none of them responded,” he said.

Salgado said Duterte’s camp had earlier claimed that the mayor had signed a waiver that would allow his bank accounts to be examined.

Last March 14, Duterte and his runningmate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano signed a manifesto stating that they “pledge to open all our bank accounts in local and foreign currencies both here and abroad in the interest of transparency and accountability.”

“But Duterte now refuses to sign a waiver for the AMLC to look into the existence of a joint account in the Bank of the Philippine Islands he allegedly shared with his daughter Sara Duterte,” Salgado said.

“Is this (waiver) only a press release?” he said.

AMLC already investigated Binay’s bank accounts.

Last year, the body secured an order from the Court of Appeals to freeze the 242 bank accounts linked to Binay, his son dismissed Makati City mayor Junjun Binay and his purported dummies, which allegedly contained P11 billion since 2008.