Duterte puts life at stake to dispute allegations he has ill-gotten wealth

President Duterte said he is prepared to be shot if his critics could prove his wealth exceeded P40 million.

The President put his life at stake in another attempt to dispute persistent allegations he has ill-gotten wealth kept in bank accounts.

“It could not be more than P40 million. It is a lifetime saving,” Duterte said during his sixth visit to Marawi City on Monday about the financial status.

“You can shoot me, you can overthrow me if you want kapag sumobra doon (if it exceeds that amount),” said Duterte, currently under investigation by the Office Ombudsman for alleged hidden wealth.

Duterte insisted that his assets came from legitimate means, contrary to allegations he stole public funds while in office. “I am 72. I started to work when I was  27 as a prosecutor. It also includes the lands I inherited from my father,” the former Davao City mayor said in Filipino.

The President earlier said he would not place himself under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman, adding the allegations against him were based on lies.

The inquiry into the President’s alleged multibillion-peso bank accounts based on a plunder complaint filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang reportedly claimed they received documents from Anti-Money Laundering Council Office of the Ombudsman that apparently showed the transactions of Duterte and his family reaching a billion.

The AMLC however has denied releasing any documents to the Ombudsman, prompting the President to lash out the anti-graft agency for using fabricated documents.