Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas has described as an “act of cowardice” PDP-Laban presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s refusal to sign a waiver that would allow the opening of his bank account in order to scrutinize the alleged P2.4 billion transactions that he supposedly had.
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Roxas made the statement after Duterte’s failure to waive the secrecy of his BPI account that allegedly contained at least P211 million, an amount that he did not declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
“This is the truth. What Mayor Duterte showed today is a cowardly act. Mayor Duterte, why don’t you face the truth? Why are you hiding the truth?” he asked.
Duterte’s running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, has said, “If the candidates have nothing to hide, they’ll have no problem signing the waiver document. But if they refuse to sign, they not only betrayed their sincerity in fighting corruption, but also put to serious question how much they have accumulated and the source of their wealth.”
Roxas said the more Duterte delays his explanation of questionable wealth, the more people will doubt his sincerity to fight graft and corruption in the government.
He said that while Duterte can use all the legal maneuverings to sidestep the issue, the truth will eventually come out.
“The Filipino people do not want a liar and corrupt leader. You are talking against anti-corruption, of transparency and anti-graft, but if we will look at it, we can see that what he has done is nothing, zero,” Roxas said.
“What you did was obstruction, blocking us to know the truth. Our people deserve better,” he stressed.
Roxas compared Duterte to United Nationalist Alliance presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is also hounded by allegations of corruption during his term as mayor of Makati City.
He said both Binay and Duterte could not explain how they amassed billions of pesos in their bank accounts.
Meanwhile, LP spokesman Barry Gutierrez challenged Duterte to come clean on his bank accounts, undeclared properties and all allegations.
“The Filipino people value truth above all. He can show his bank statements to the public instead of waiting for 7 days. He should learn from the lesson of Vice President Binay—evasion is admission in the eyes of the public.”
Gutierrez said that Duterte must bear in mind that he was seeking the highest post in the land, not a position in local government.
“He presented himself as a possible leader of the people, he is obliged to show that he carries the values that our people hold dear. We Filipinos are open, honest, and trustworthy. Our leader should be the same,” he stressed.
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