Op-Ed : President Duterte virtually admits spreading fake news- GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc -The Philippine Star
GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc
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President Rodrigo Duterte in effect spread fake news in concocting Sen. Antonio Trillanes’ secret bank accounts. Social media are going viral about Duterte’s admission of inventing the number of Trillanes’ account with DBS Singapore. Bashers say the President lost credibility by lying, and call him out for spreading fake news. Only last month Duterte signed the criminalizing of news fakery, with fines of P40,000 to P200,000. Civil rights advocates denounce the law as a breach of free speech. Criticisms peaked yesterday, amid demonstrations marking the 45th anniversary of Marcos’ martial law and against Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
Trillanes had gone early this week to Singapore’s DBS’ Alexandra branch where Duterte alleges he has a secret deposit of S$193,610 as of Aug. 17. There he was told it had no account in the name of “Antonio Trillanes” with or without the suffix “IV” singly or jointly with anybody. He executed a waiver authorizing DBS to disclose any accounts in his name. He then proceeded to HSBC Raffles Tower branch where Duterte alleges another deposit of S$278,300 as of Aug. 30. There was no such branch, only an ATM. Before that, Trillanes issued a waiver to the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Ombudsman to look into the 12 international accounts in Asia, Europe, and America that Duterte alleges he has.
In disproving the Singapore accounts, Trillanes called Duterte a liar who can win only by propaganda. He reiterated his challenge for him to sign a similar waiver to disclose his bank accounts. He said Duterte’s son, Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte, and son-in-law Manases Carpio, should do the same after linking them to the recent smuggling of 604 kilos of shabu (meth) worth P6.5 billion at the Manila ports.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who filed charges against newly resigned Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon for the narcotics smuggling, praises Trillanes for turning the tables on Duterte. Trillanes’ credibility buoyed up, he says. On the other hand, Duterte lost credibility, notes former dean Tony La Viña of the Ateneo de Manila School of Governance. In faking news about Trillanes, Duterte’s statistics about the drug problem and martial law in Mindanao are now in doubt. Dented as well is Duterte’s credibility as chairman of the ASEAN on its 50th year this 2017, and praises for China despite incursions in the West Philippine Sea. “Unusual, very un-presidential,” Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon said of Duterte’s confession of news faking. Presidential spokesman Ernie Abella is at a loss for words.
The Dutertes do not lack for supporters in the social media. Hot stuff as well are Trillanes’ bungled diplomatic back-channeling that led to China’s occupation of Scarborough Shoal in 2012, and exposés in this columns about his relatives’ no-bidding contract with the dilapidated MRT-3. Trillanes is referred to as “trilliling” for crazy, and “Trillones” for supposed trillion-peso stolen wealth.
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