Duterte dares critics ‘LET’S OPEN ALL BANK RECORDS COVERING THE LAST 20 YEARS’

By Manny Piñol

“Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War.

In a masterful display of tactical genius, presidential frontrunner Rody Duterte, who was earlier accused of keeping hundreds of millions in his bank accounts, has taken the offensive daring his critics to open their bank records as well.

Responding to calls from Sen. Antonio Trillanes and presidential candidates Manuel Roxas III, Grace Poe Llamanzares and Jejomar Binay, Duterte said he was willing to open his bank records even for the last 20 years if the four would also do the same.

“Gawin na niyang 20 years! Anak ng p***! Basta abrehan nila ‘yung kanila. All transactions in the past,” Duterte said in a rally in Sorsogon City yesterday, April 30.

(I could make it 20 years! Son of a bitch! But they should open their accounts. All transactions in the past.)

Trillianes earlier accused Duterte of keeping P211-M in bank accounts with the Bank of Philippine Islands, an “expose” which for a while shocked even the leading presidential candidate’s hardcore supporters.

The reaction was understandable. After all, Duterte rides high on his advocacy against criminality, drugs and corruption in government.

When Duterte initially hedged, his critics rejoiced and when he said in an interview that his accounts could contain less than the P211-M that Trillanes claimed there was, they were ecstatic.

in fact, a major newspaper headlined his statement saying that Duterte admitted that his accounts held less than P200-M.

Trillanes went to town saying that Duterte’s admission that he had less than P200-M in the bank vindicated him.

Roxas, Poe and Binay immediately weighed in on the controversy asking Duterte to open his accounts.

It was just what Duterte was waiting to happen.

On Friday, when everybody he wanted to ride in on the issue was already in, he dropped the bomb by releasing a bank statement from BPI Julia Vargas branch in Ortigas showing that his account only contained P17,000.

The bank statement released by Duterte showed transactions from December 31, 2015 to April 28, 2016 only.

Duterte said he was baiting Trillanes to a trap when he said he has “a little less than P211 million.”

“I opened the account, it’s only P17, 000. Kasi ako sabi… Less than P211 million, nilaro ko siya para mag-execute ng affidavit. Para ma-ganoon ko siya – perjury!” Duterte was quoted by the media as saying.

On Monday, Duterte’s designated lawyer, Salvador Panelo, will open his BPI Julia Vargas bank account for Trillanes to peruse.

But he has set a condition: Trillanes must bring with him an affidavit accusing Duterte of criminal acts by stashing millions in his bank accounts.

Now that he has gained the upperhand in the war of wits and nerves, Duterte has turned the tables on his critics and opponents.

He is now calling on Trillanes, Binay, Poe and Roxas to open their bank accounts.

Duterte said that since they are all running for elective positions, they should all be transparent with their financial records.

This is classic Duterte, using the issues raised by his opponents to confront them with and exploiting the strength of his foes to over power them.

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War.