Rodrigo Duterte is offering to step down as President of the Philippines — if a political rival can prove accusations that Duterte has stowed away millions illegally.
Should Senator Antonio Trillanes “prove his allegation that I have amassed two billion [pesos] illegally or if that bank account under my name has a total deposit at one time of even just half a billion [pesos], I will resign as president immediately,” Bloomberg quotes Duterte as saying in a speech posted on the official Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Office.
The sum Trillanes is accusing Duterte of hoarding equates to nearly $40 million. The senator also says Duterte failed to disclose large transactions among his immediate family members, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Trillanes made similar accusations against Duterte during last year’s presidential election, according to Bloomberg.
“I would advise Trillanes to go to court and file a proper case against me,” Duterte says, adding that the senator should “stop opening his mouth when he has nothing to say.”
This comes mere days after reports emerged that Senator Leila de Lima, another outspoken critic of Duterte, was preparing for her imminent arrest on drug trafficking charges. According to local news reports, the charges were filed against her Friday.
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