President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday claimed that Julia Bacay-Abad, the resigned executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council was romantically linked to opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and the one who supposedly authorized the release of his alleged bank records.
“Abad, the woman who was the mistress of Trillanes. I do not know her name, but she’s the one in AMLC,” Duterte said in a media interview with reporters.
The President asked of Abad: “Is she beautiful?”
Trillanes, however, immediately denied that he and Abad has a relationship and that he had a mistress at the AMLC.
“I categorically deny itong huling imbentong storya ni Duterte. Nakakalungkot lang na meron pang nadadamay na ibang tao. In this case, si Attorney Julia Bacay-Abad na kilala bilang isang disente at pamilyadong tao na naging propesyunal sa kanyang paglingkod bilang Executive Director ng AMLC,” Trillanes said in a statement.
Abad, who was with the AMLC for more than 10 years resigned last January 2017 after Duterte criticized the agency for allegedly being “uncooperative,” as documents being requested from them have been delayed.
The AMLC is an independent body that monitors the financial system to guard against dirty money deals.
Duterte insisted that the opposition senator made a wrong computation into his supposed bank accounts, saying that his multi-billion claim was “ridiculous.”
“You can’t use it as evidence in courts,” the President said of Trillanes’ supposed evidence against him.
“What Abad gave to Trillanes was stolen. That’s the one he gave to the [Deputy] Ombudsman for Mindanao, and later on to [Ombudsman Conchita Carpio] Morales. That’s why they’re cleansing their hands already.”
He likewise denied that he got the information on Trillanes’ accounts from a certain Daniel “Snooky” Cruz, saying that he only knew about actress “Snooky” Serna and a comic book of the same name.
Also on Wednesday, the Palace played down Trillanes’ supposed “expose” against Duterte on the sources of his bank records, saying that it was as “empty” as the hall he spoke in.
“The privilege speech of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV had nothing new to offer by way of information or insight,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
In his privilege speech last Tuesday, Trillanes claimed that certain financial forensic expert was the source of the information on his bank records that was supposedly “sold” to the President.
Abella however, referred to the pronouncements by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) that it is not the source of documents attached by Senator Trillanes, adding that the total amounts of the alleged bank accounts are “wrong and misleading.”
Duterte earlier said that he is willing to be shot if it is proven that he has financial wealth in excess of P40 million.
After issuing a denial on his alleged relationship with Abad, Trillanes shot back at the president and accused him of being rude.
“Duterte, huwag mong daanin sa kabastusan ang pag iwas mo sa tunay na isyu ng bilyun-bilyong pera mo sa bangko,” Trillanes said.
The senator said Duterte’s latest accusations against him is another move to divert from the real issue. He renewed his call to the President to face the issue and sign a waiver on the bank secrecy law.