Pray, Duterte tells Carandang

“MAGDASAL ka  lang,” President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday night told Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, who is leading the investigation into the first family’s alleged multi-billion-peso bank accounts.

“Imagine this Carandang, magdasal ka lang Carandang. I’m not threatening you. ‘Pag ka nagka-leche leche ang Pilipinas uunahin kita,” Duterte said during the installation of new officers and induction of new members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Davao City Chapter

In his speech in Davao City, Duterte said the documents that Carandang has, which were supposedly obtained from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), are fabricated.

“Sabi ng (AMLC) bakit may nagkuha doon sa loob? Binigay kay Trillanes, binigay kay Carandang. P----- ka Carandang ka, you are holding a fabricated (document)... Kung may kaibigan ka sa loob, pumunta ka na sa Bangko Sentral, tingnan mo na para safety ka,” he added.

Duterte said his “lifetime savings” would not go beyond P40 million, adding that the flow of money from his bank account started when he was still the mayor of Davao City.
   
“Ma-swerte ka na kung may P40 million. Sabi ko, kayong taga-Davao talaga bang ganon na kami kahirap? Sabi ko nga eh, trace it from (the) IBAA, Insular Bank of Asia and America, kasi it was about that time that we had because, nagkakaso, nag-away-away kaming magkapatid, we had an extrajudicial settlement,” he said.
   
“Tingnan mo ‘yung first million doon, ito sabihin ko sa inyo, kasi may mga asawa akong negosyante, lahat ng suweldo ko ‘pag ka, LandBank people, give it to them. Lahat ng suweldo ko pagka-mayor until now dumideretso d’yan sa specific account na ‘yan. Kaya sabi ko hindi mag-abot ng P40 million,” he added.
   
He also dared the Office of the Ombudsman to “go ahead and look at the records.”
   
Earlier, the President  threatened to investigate the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged partiality and corruption after the body announced it had started the probe into the first family's alleged multi-billion peso bank accounts, based on the complaint filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
   
Carandang had said he was authorized by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to act on Trillanes’ complaint and has already requested AMLC for a final validation of the bank transaction records of the first family.
   
He said initial bank records from the AMLC showed the flow of money through deposits and withdrawals from Duterte’s sons, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo and Sebastian Duterte, and his joint accounts with his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
   
He added that the accounts of Duterte’s common-law wife Honeylet Avancena and their daughter Veronica, were also included in the records.
   
The AMLC had confirmed receiving the request from Carandang, but denied providing him with the documents.
   
“We have categorically stated before that the Anti-Money Laundering Council is not the source of the documents and information attached by Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV in his complaint regarding the alleged bank accounts of President Rodrigo Duterte,” the AMLC said in a statement.
   
“It has neither provided the Office of the Ombudsman with any report as a consequence of any investigation of subject accounts for any purpose,” it added.
   
The AMLC also said that the bank accounts in question had “wrong and misleading” amounts.