Duterte has 'millions' in hidden bank accounts, critic says

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A Philippine senator and critic of President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he has bank statements showing Duterte has millions of dollars in hidden bank accounts.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV told Quezon City, Phillipines, radio station DZMM he would resign his legislative seat if he is proven wrong. Trillanes released bank statements, which he said were from 2006 to 2015, allegedly showing Duterte has or controls $47.8 million in secret accounts which he failed to report before he ran for president in 2016. Trillanes, one of the few politicians in the Philippines who regularly challenges Duterte's comments and actions, said the money came from illegal activities, which he did not identify.

"The president has been vocal on his campaign against corruption, but how can we expect him to solve this problem when he himself had questionable amounts of money in his accounts?" Trillanes said Thursday.

Salvador Panelo, Duterte's chief legal adviser, called the accusations an old story that surfaced prior to the May election, adding that Trillanes, who led a failed coup of the Philippine government in 2003, is merely seeking publicity.

Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella said the president may release his banking history "if necessary," but not in response to Trillanes' accusations. "It's a rehash of items already discussed three days before the election," he said.