Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Monday evening (May 2) confidently faced the media, after vice presidential candidate Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV failed to get and reveal the mayor’s bank records in the Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) Julia Vargas branch.
In an interview on Tuesday (May 3), Duterte said he will deal with Trillanes and his cohorts after the elections.
“Ah, I’m still preoccupied having myself elected to the position. I will deal with them and him after,” Duterte said.
Duterte reiterated he never had million peso deposit in his bank account.
Trillanes claimed the presidential candidate had P211 million in his account in BPI Julia Vargas branch.
Also read: BPI Julia Vargas face-off a dud, no records released
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“Kung ikaw may-ari ng pera hindi mo alam,” Duterte said. “Well, 17,000 is definitely lower than [211 million].”
[Translation: If you own the money, you don’t know [how much it is]? Well, 17,000 is definitely lower than 211 million.]
He clarified that his earlier admission of having “a little less than P211 million” deposit in the two accounts is but a tactic to lure Trillanes into believing that the said accounts indeed contain alleged illegal wealth.
Also read: Duterte taunts critics to open bank transaction records
Duterte, in a separate interview, pointed out he does not know Trillanes’ source named Joseph de Mesa.
The presidential candidate called Trillanes “askal” [stray dog]. But when asked further about the senator, Duterte said he will no longer answer questions about Trillanes since the whole brouhaha is a trap.
CNN Philippines’ Triciah Terada and Davao-based journalist Ben Tesiorna contributed to this report.
Also read: Malacañang ‘brain’ behind BPI account issue — Duterte camp
