Duterte vows to resign if Trillanes can prove claim

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night said he will resign immediately if Senator Antonio Trillanes can prove his allegations that he and his family have billions of pesos in ill-gotten wealth in their bank accounts.

In a prepared statement on video released by the Palace, Duterte denied that he has amassed P2 billion illegally.

The President said he and his family earned money through legitimate means.

Duterte, who called Trillanes' accusations old and rehashed, said he already answered the senator's claims before he became president.

"This I can say: If Trillanes can prove his allegation that I have amassed P2 billion illegally or if that bank account under my name has a total deposit at one time of even just half a billion, I will resign as president immediately," Duterte said.

He said that his daughter Sara, a lawyer by profession and is now mayor of Davao City, earned through legitimate transactions with her clients.

Duterte also revealed that his common-law wife, Honeylet Avancena, started her doughnut business 18 years ago and is currently supplying meat to five malls in Davao.

"Siya iyung nagsu-supply ng karne ng baboy. Ganyan kalaki ang pera ng babaeng iyan," Duterte said.

(She supplies pork. That's how huge her money is.)

'Duterte family not poor'

Duterte also said his late father, Vicente Duterte, a former governor of Davao, left them with inheritance.

"Kaya 'yung pamilya mo, gutom noon o ngayon, wag mo kaming isali. Hindi kami kasing malas sa pamilya mo. Hindi kami mahirap. Tatay ko, governor noon, may iniwan sa akin," Duterte said.

(If your family is starving then or now, don't mind ours. We are not as unfortunate as your family. We are not poor. My father was a governor. He left us inheritance.)

"Ikaw? Anong naiwan sayo? Hangin pati yabang. Tulisan ka sa totoo lang," he added.

(You? What was left to you? Air and pride. You are a bandit.)

Duterte also took the opportunity to take a swipe at Trillanes' big expenses in the Senate.

"It is known in the Senate that Trillanes uses his office to ask for retainers and that this has become a lucrative business for him," Duterte said.

Duterte also challenged Trillanes to file a case against him.

"I would advise Trillanes to go to court and file the proper case against me and advise him further to stop opening his mouth when he has nothing to say anyway," Duterte said.

He said Trillanes will have no political career after his term in the Senate expires in over two years.

In a press conference Thursday, Trillanes dared Duterte anew to reveal his bank transaction history and belie his claims.

'P2.407 billion transactions'

Trillanes alleged in April 2016 that then-presidential race frontrunner Duterte had bank transactions amounting to P2.407 billion.

The senator presented documents on Thursday claiming that bank accounts of Duterte and his three children, and some under the name of the president's partner, Cielito Avancena, have about P2 billion from 2006-2015.

Trillanes said Duterte should come forward and prove him wrong. If his allegations are proven wrong, Trillanes said he will resign from his senatorial post.

"He could spare everyone kasi sabi niya diretso siya magsalita, matapang siya sa mga issue. Ilabas mo, ilabas mo yung tapang mo dito. Ipakita mo na mali ako, na hindi lang ako nag-aakusa," he said.