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Duterte’s tactics show truth is not on his side in conflict with Trillanes

May 2, 2016May 2, 2016 Ellen

If you have to resort to lies in a conflict, it only indicates that you are not on the side of truth.

Vice presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes IV

It’s becoming obvious that the expose of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV of Davao City Mayor Duterte’s bank transactions that can go up to as much as P2.4 billion has hit hard the frontrunner in the May 9 presidential elections, more than his infamous rape comment.

Although I seriously doubt if this latest controversy would bring him down from number one in the race, the issue would hound him even if he wins the presidency.

Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte

So far, his actions are that of a person twisting and digging himself in a quicksand.

When Trillanes IV first made his expose alleging that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is not the poor and honest public servant that he presents himself to the public because he had more than P200 million in his BPI Julia Vargas branch account in 2014 which he did not include in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN), Duterte called the senator a “liar” and dismissed the bank account as a “fabrication.”

“You can check with the bank. You go there,” Duterte said in a forum with the Makati Business Club April 27, the day the first expose came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

My friend took up Duterte’s challenge and went to BPI Alabang Town Center the next day, April 28, and deposited in the bank account number published by the Inquirer. It was accepted by the bank and she was given the receipt showing that the account is a joint account of Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Duterte.

My friend sent me a photo copy of the deposit slip and I posted it in Facebook a little past 1:30 p.m. It immediately went viral shared by more than three thousand people in one hour.

Less than two hours after, Inquirer posted a breaking story, “Duterte admits existence of BPI accounts.”

Duterte said his account contained just a few thousands contrary to the more than P200 million that Trillanes exposed complete with the amounts and dates of the deposits. Eight of the ten deposits in 2014 totalling P197 million were made on the mayor’s birthday, March 28.

Trillanes dared Duterte to open his account so the public would know who is telling the truth.

Duterte accepted the challenge of Trillanes while revising the amount of his bank assets. It’s less than P200 million, he said. Now, he is talking of millions of pesos in the bank.

Duterte’s propaganda team released a bank balance of P17,000. But Trillanes said he will insist on the transaction history of the account.

Duterte then set a condition that he will only agree to the opening of his bank account records if Trillanes would reveal in an affidavit how he obtained the bank documents. That’s as good as not allowing the opening of his bank accounts.

Trillanes will be at the BPI Julia Vargas branch today, May 2 at 11 a.m. Duterte will not be there. He said he will in Davao but he will be represented by his lawyer, Salvador Panelo.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s cyber trolls are on a rampage. My FP post linking my article on the evolution of Duterte’s BPI account was removed by Facebook.

Facebook removes post if they receive several complaints about it. Who would complain about an article on Duterte’s bank account?

I have been a subject of cyberbullying. The memes are actually hilarious in their stupidity which is something to be sad about because they are symptoms of a deeper problem in our society.

The other day, I got this text:

“Mga DDS nais nyo ba maka txt message ang balasubas na super epal na senador antonio trillanes mayroon po ako personal cp no ng senator na epal na yan.kaya mga dds dumugin po natin sya at eh post ko sa lahat ng duterte pages ang personal nya cp no.”

It was followed the next day with another text, similar message.

DDS stands for Davao Death Squad.

The evolution of Duterte’s BPI account

April 29, 2016April 29, 2016 Ellen

March 14, 2016 – Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate Alan Peter Cayetano signed a manifesto waiving their rights under the Bank Secrecy law.

Manifesto, not a legal bank secrecy waiver

In the manifesto, printed on a large piece of cardboard, they pledged “to open all our bank accounts in local and foreign currencies both here and abroad in the interest of transparency and accountability.”

April 27, Wednesday- The Philippine Daily Inquirer carried the expose of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who is running for vice president as an independent candidate and is carrying Grace Poe as his vice president, that Duterte, who is now the frontrunner in the presidential race, has at least P211 million in the bank in 2014 which he did not declare when he filed his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Networth (SALN) in 2014.

The Trillanes document shared with media showed account number 002433-0695-39 at BPI Julia Vargas branch in Pasig City under the name of Rodrigo Roa Duterte jointly with his daughter Sarah Z. Duterte.

Please click to view full image

There were ten deposits. Eight of the ten deposits totalling P197 million were made on March 28, 2014, the 69th birthday of Duterte. The two other deposits totalling P33,705,615 were made on Dec. 9, 2014.

The deposits were not included in Duterte’s 2014 SALN, which only recorded a net worth of P21,971,732.62—assets worth P22,971,732.62 and a liability of P1 million, a personal loan from a certain Samuel Uy.

Under Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) all government employees are required to file their SALN.

Cash on hand or in bank are considered assets that must be declared.

The Inquirer article carried a strong denial from Duterte saying:”The account is not true and is just a fabrication of Trillanes, who is a money for hire.”

Speaking at the Makati Business Club lunch time, Duterte dismissed Trillanes’ expose as “garbage.”

He told the businessmen: “Believe me. That’s garbage. You can check with the bank. You go there.”
“I told you, he is a liar. He fabricated this,” he added.

Duterte also said in an ambush interview after his MBC speech he is taking back the bank waiver (which was not really a waiver but a manifesto) he signed last March. “Not anymore. I’ll make it difficult for Trillanes. It’s just a piece of paper. You prove it. Why will I give it to him? I’ll take the waiver and I will tell him, ‘Prove it. I will not make it easy for you. I will not play into your hands. You prove it,’”

Yesterday morning, April 28, at ANC, Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña, told Karen Davila, “”This is a non-existent account. As a lawyer, he would not issue any waiver pointing to a non-existent account….Why will Duterte do banking in Ortigas when he is based in Davao?”

At about 1 pm, a friend of mine, who wanted to find out who was really telling the truth between Trillanes and Duterte, went to BPI Alabang Town Center branch and deposited P500 in the Duterte account published in the Inquirer.

She said the bank teller asked her whose account and she said , “Sara Duterte.” Then she added, “From Emilio Aguinaldo” referring to Duterte’s statement during the last presidential debate that his funder is Emilio Aguinaldo living in a mountain in Davao.

The teller processed the account and gave her the deposit slip which showed it was credited to the account of Rodrigo Roa Duterte or Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Duterte.

She sent me the photographed copy and I posted it in Facebook.

Deposit of P500 confirms existence of Duterte BPI account at Julia Vargas branch.

At about 2 pm, Liberal Party Presidential candidate Mar Roxas sent his assistant to also deposit P500 in a BPI account that Duterte said is non-existent. The bank accepted the deposit.

Inquirer also deposited P100 in the same account. Another one posted in Facebook a deposit of P5 in the same account.

At 3:09 Inquirer posted a story, “Duterte admits existence of BPI accounts.”

Marcos is INC’s choice for VP, undecided yet for president

April 27, 2016April 27, 2016 Ellen

Bongbong Marcos with LP Cagayan De Oro Rep. Klarex Uy in a Marcos campaign caravan Friday last week. Photo from Marcos media

A member of the influential Iglesia ni Cristo said the church leadership has called vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr, to tell him that he is their choice for the number two position for the May 9 elections.

“Pinatawag siya (he was asked to come),” the source said.

That is not surprising because the Marcos family has close ties with the Manalo family (The late Felix Manalo founded the INC) since the powerful days of the Marcoses in the 1960’s. In all the elections where Ferdinand Marcos was a candidate, the INC supported him.

In fact in the 1986 snap election, when the INC membership was deeply divided between the beleaguered Marcos and the popular Corazon Aquino, Eduardo Manalo, then the executive minister of the church, stuck with Marcos.

The decision to go for Bongbong Marcos was not difficult for the INC leadership because aside from the family friendship, Marcos is leading the vice presidential race. Winnability is a major factor in the decision of the INC who to endorse.

In a close contest, which is what the May 9 elections is turning out to be, the INC vote is crucial.

Social Weather Stations’ Mahar Mangahas, in his column in the Inquirer September last year, estimates the voting strength of the INC this election to be 1.7 million. Two of the past presidents edged out their respective closest rivals with less number of votes than that. In the 1992 elections, the difference between Fidel Ramos’ votes and that of Miriam Santiago (who were both not endorsed by the INC) was only 874,345. In the fraud-tainted elections of 2004, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (endorsed by the INC) was able to hold on to her un-elected presidency with 1.1 million votes over what was obtained by Fernando Poe, Jr., father of Grace Poe, who is now trying to regain the lead from frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte with only 10 days left to Election Day.

Mangahas said: ..” the proportionate strength of INC voters was about four and one-fourth percent of the electorate in 2010. My guess is that it will be the same in 2016. Assuming population growth of 2 percent per year, a number of 1.5 million votes in May 2010 would become 1.7 million votes by May 2016. This does not allow for either conversions to INC or withdrawals from INC. So I think that the claim of 2.0 million INC votes for 2016 is an overstatement.

Rodrigo Duterte with Alan Cayetano flag waving crowd in Negros Oriental. Photo from Duterte-Cayetano media.

How solid is the INC vote?

In 2010, Mangahas said, “In the presidential election, according to the exit poll, Catholics went 43.4 percent for Noynoy Aquino and 28.2 percent for Erap Estrada, whereas INCs went 77.1 percent for Aquino and 12.0 percent for Estrada. The 77 percent is the extent of unity of the INC vote—not 100 percent, but quite a lot.”

The source said the INC has not yet decided who to endorse for president but in the consultation with grassroots members, the choice was Duterte-Marcos.

He said the consultation process goes up to district level, to the ecclesiastical district, to regional, up to the 100-man council composed of senior ministers.

The final decision will be made by the 24-man Sanggunian headed by Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo.

The source said the two of the major considerations in the INC’s decision-making are, “Has this candidate done anything detrimental to the INC? Can the INC depend on this candidate to help the church?”

Winnability is also major consideration in the INC leadership decision.

Another source said the INC used to be not inclined towards a woman president. It, however, endorsed Arroyo when the FPJ and Panfilo Lacson then failed to have a united opposition.

Grace Poe in Mindoro. Photo from Poe Media.

So Grace Poe still has a good chance to get the endorsement, the source said depending on how close she could narrow the gap between her and Duterte. There is also still the factor that the INC would like to make up for not endorsing FPJ in 2004, he said.

The INC sample ballot is released at the end of the Saturday worship before the elections. That would be on May 7.

Duterte violates law prohibiting ridicule of PWDs

April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 Ellen

Presiedential candidate Rodrigo Duterte

For the information of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who laughed at Persons with Disabilities while regaling his supporters in Aklan last week, there’s a law that prohibits ridicule, vilification, both verbal and non-verbal, against PWDs which can make them lose their self- esteem.

Public ridicule is “making fun or contemptuous imitating or making mockery – in writing or in words, or in action” of PWDs because of their impairment.

The law is Republic Act 9422, an act amending the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

The law identifies two forms of vilifying PWDs: One, uttering slanderous and abusive statements against them. Two, an activity in public which incites hatred toward serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of PWDs.

Regaling his audience in Kalibo, Duterte performed: “Iyong isa doon, classmate ko pa. Eh na-stroke, paganoon-ganoon” as he mimicked the half-paralyzed movement of a stroke victim.

Showing no mercy, he said, “ Gusto ko sabihin, ‘Pakamatay ka na lang’.”

He also related a story complete with action about a half-paralyzed man who was still fond of women. “Iyong isa doon, 87 o 88, pagdating niya siguro maingay na, gaganon siya pilit siguro may spinal problem. Tinutulak pa, ganoon.Tapos, tumatakbo iyong mga babae, tinutulak iyong mukha. Tapos ibalik ng yaya.”

The crowd applauded his performance.

Many who have stroke victims relatives felt hurt by Duterte’s ridicule.

One of them is Bib Macasaet, wife of Butch Macasaet, publisher of Abante tabloid. Bib and Butch have a special child who has overcome his disability and is now helping other children with special needs.

Bib’s father-in-law, Malaya publisher Jake Macasaet, is recovering from a stroke.

“I take great offense at what Duterte said because I have a son with special needs and my father-in-law just suffered a stroke November 2015 and is a wheelchair user,” she said.

“You are a mentally ill person, Duterte, “ Bib lambasted Duterte.

“How dare you laugh and make fun of stroke patients who are immobile and helpless? My father-in-law is a stroke patient and I will not allow you, to say ‘pakamatay ka na lang’ because he can’t help himself. Who do you think you are to make a mockery of disabled people? “

Bib also took on the people who were laughing at Duterte’s tasteless joke: “I take it that none of you have relatives with disabilities or stroke patients – or else you wouldn’t be laughing. ‪‬”‬

Bib asked the Filipino people to wake up and stand up to Duterte:” Philippines, we just can’t allow this person to go on degrading people, most especially the helpless ones. “

By the way, R.A 9422 states that any person who violates will be fined, for the first violation of not less than P50,000.00 but not exceeding P100,000.00 or imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than two years, or both at the discretion of the court.

For any subsequent violation, a fine of not less than P100,000.00 but not exceeding Two P200,000.00 or imprisonment for not less than two years but not more than six years, or both at the discretion of the court.
But first, someone has to file a complaint.
***
Related event:

Getting it Right: Reporting on Disability in the Philippines will be launched on Wednesday, April 27, at 2:30 p.m. at Joy 1 and 2 Function Rooms, 5th Floor, Oakwood Premier, Joy – Nostalg Center, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Getting it Right is a project of the Fully Abled Nation, aimed to increase public awareness of the importance of PWDs’ right to suffrage and right to participate in democratic processes. It is carried out in the Philippines by The Asia Foundation with assistance from The Australian Aid.

Produced by VERA Files, Getting it Right is designed as reporting guidebook but it is also helpful to non-journalists on communicating about PWDs.

Anybody with the heart for PWD is invited.