Romer Butuyan 
HINDI umubra sa isang miyembro ng Kamara ang palusot ng asawa ni Vice President Sara Duterte kaugnay ng bilyong pisong naglabas-masok na nabuking ng Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Partikular na tinukoy ni House Committee on Public Accounts Chair at Bicol Saro partylist Rep. Terry Ridon ang paglilinaw na inilabas ng Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) na umano’y “technical glitch” sa transaction record ng bank account ng mag-asawa.
Kahit pa aniya maging P2 million sa halip na P2 billion, malinaw pa rin ang ulat ng AMLC na bilyong-bilyong halaga ng perang naglabas-pasok sa kanilang bank accounts.
“Even assuming it became P2 million from P2 billion, it is still in the billions. It doesn’t change the fact that the total transactions are still in the billions. It doesn’t change the fact that the inflows are still in the billions,” giit ni Ridon.
“And ultimately who are these personalities? Public servant? Lawyers? Losing businesses? Paano ipapaliwanag ang P6.7 billion in total transactions, P4.4 billion in net inflows? Hindi ho ganyan yung profile ng mag-asawang mga abogado,” dagdag ng mambabatas.
Sa isang press conference, iprinisinta ng legal counsel ni Atty. Mans Carpio ang paglilinaw ng Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) sa umano’y pagkakamali sa pagrerekord ng bank transaction ng abogadong asawa ng pangalawang pangulo.
Kinastigo rin ng kampo ni Duterte ang House Justice Committee na sadyang inetsa-pwera ang paglilinaw ng BPI sa bank transaction ni Carpio – bagay na pinabulaanan ni Ridon kasabay ng giit na bahagi ng committee report ang dokumentong ibinahagi ng AMLC.
“The report is there for everyone to see. But again, ang sabi pa rin ng AMLC in their summary list, it is still P6.7 billion,” sambit pa ni Ridon.
Sa panibagong argumento ni Carpio, hindi pa rin aniya direktang sinagot o itanggi man lang ang AMLC report na tumukoy sa “covered and suspicious” transactions sa bank accounts nilang mag-asawa.
“Of that amount, there were P4.4 billion in inflows and P1.55 billion in inflows, leading Ridon to conclude that the bank accounts had a balance of P2.8 billion. This was not reflected in the Vice President’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs),” paalala ni Ridon.
“In fact, the SALNs filed for six years, 2019 to 2024, had blank spaces for cash on hand or in bank. The Vice President and her husband have not denied the billions that their bank accounts held.”
