The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is caught in the middle of a word war between Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
But the bank is adamant, it has nothing to do with the allegations of hidden wealth.
"Our investigation has shown that BPI is not the source of Sen. Trillanes' allegations," BPI President and CEO Cezar Consing told CNN Philippines in an e-mail on May 2 (Monday).
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) have also adamantly denied they have any involvement in the issue.
"We assure the Filipino people that the BSP and the AMLC are not engaged in partisan politics and will never allow themselves to be used as a tool for political persecution or harassment, or as an instrument to hamper competition in trade and commerce," BSP Officer-in-Charge Vincente Aquino said in a statement also on Monday.
Trillanes came out with fighting words last week, claiming he had documents showing billions of pesos in various bank accounts linked to Duterte and his daughter, Sara.
He said Duterte's account in BPI Julia Vargas alone had P211 million — undeclared in the presidential frontrunner's 2014 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
Duterte first categorically denied all the accusations, before backtracking and acknowledging he did have various bank accounts, they just didn't contain that much money.
The mayor challenged the vice-presidential bet to detail his allegations in an affidavit, promising he would open his bank accounts for scrutiny after.
