AMLC denies providing Office of Ombudsman report on Duterte’s bank records

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) — The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Thursday denied providing the Office of the Ombudsman any report on the bank records of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We have categorically stated before that the AMLC is not the source of the documents and information attached by Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV in his Complaint, regarding the alleged bank accounts of President Rodrigo Duterte,” AMLC said in a statement.

“It has neither provided the Office of the Ombudsman with any report as a consequence of any investigation of subject accounts for any purpose,” it added.

This follows the statement of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang that he has received a report from the AMLC, which supposedly revealed there is a P1 billion cash flow in Duterte’s bank accounts.

He has also confirmed the probe on the Presidential family’s wealth, in response to a plunder complaint filed Trillanes during the 2016 presidential campaign.

“The investigation in the complaint filed by Sen. Trillanes is going on and being conducted not by FIO (Field Investigation Office) but by the field investigation unit of our office in Davao,” Carandang told CNN Philippines.

AMLC added that it is still evaluating the August 17 request made by Carandang which it received on September 6, requesting the body to initiate an investigation on Duterte’s accounts.

“We have yet to evaluate the request, and the initiation of an investigation, as well as the release of any report on the subject will depend on such evaluation. Suffice it to state that in the attachment to the Complaint, the alleged debits and credits representing outflows and inflows of funds were added together, thus, the resulting total amounts are wrong and misleading,” AMLC said.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo earlier warned Carandang he should not reveal details of an ongoing investigation, otherwise he may face administrative charges.

“We remind ODO Carandang that investigatory records compiled for law enforcement purposes to the extent that the production of such records deprives a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication should not be disclosed while the proceedings are ongoing,” Panelo said.

He also clarified reports that the Ombudsman has received a copy of Duterte’s bank records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), showing a cash flow worth P1 billion.

“The alleged bank records of the President do not indicate that he is hiding money in the total amount of more than P1 billion, and that the same is ill gotten,” Panelo said. “The alleged amount was computed based on ‘in-and-out’ bank transactions of the President’s family through the years.”

Ombudsman chair Conchita Carpio-Morales has delegated cases involving the Duterte family to Carandang after inhibiting herself, as she is the aunt of Manases Carpio, the husband of Presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

source: CNN Philippines