Open letter to DBS & Singapore ambassador
Mr Piyush Gupta, CEO-DBS
Ms Kok Li Peng, Spore ambassador to Philippines
Sir / Your excellency:
You must be aware that President Duterte of Philippines had made allegations of corrupt accumulation of wealth by a Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and that the latter had stashed away those funds in many offshore bank accounts, including one account at DBS, Alexandra Branch.
That accusation prompted the senator to personally visit Singapore branch of DBS on 19 Sep 2017, together with some Philippines media, to prove him wrong. DBS branch staff told the senator a certain account number provided by Pres Duterte does not exist and that he (Trillanes) has no account with the bank.
Immediately after Trillanes’ trip to Singapore, Pres Duterte went on the offensive and said the initial account numbers he publicized was meant to trick Trillanes. Duterte insists he has the actual account numbers.
The lie was further perpetuated on Sep 29 when he said Trillanes closed his DBS bank account online on 8 Sep 2017 prior to visiting the bank. A juvenile brush off when proof is thrown at his face, that is the president’s consistent style. He knows damn well his audience of millions of gullible supporters take in everything at face value. Meanwhile DBS experienced an onslaught of queries from more discernible Filipinos asking if online cancellation is indeed possible. Certainly DBS must never muddle in foreign politics, but the issue here is about DBS credibility which has been left undefended.
He leveled further accusation, without disclosing any fact or proof, that those offshore funds were used to destabilize the country. He has now up the ante, from corruption to treasonous act of destabilization.
http://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-trillanes-used-dirty-money-destabilization-plot/353559/
These are serious allegations not just for Senator Trillanes, but for DBS and indeed, for Singapore. It has thrown the reputation of both DBS and Singapore into disrepute. It insinuates that:
- DBS had been careless in it’s due diligence in allowing the opening of a PEPs account with a non-family member person in a joint account.
- DBS had been negligent in allowing suspicious large funds to flow through the account.
- Singapore’s anti-money laundering capabilities are inutile.
- DBS staff at Alexandra Branch lied about the non-existence of such accounts.
- DBS lied, with implication it was under pressure from Singapore government.
- DBS and Singapore could be acting in support of destabilization plots against the Philippines’ governing regime.
President Duterte has a history of making wild accusations against both local and international personalities and institutions. which have rightly drawn rebukes from injured parties. The latest being the claim that Taiwan is the main source of drugs into Philippines. This has drawn an immediate response from the Taiwanese government to refute the claim on the basis of statistics they provided, and has in turn asked the Philippines government to provide proof of the allegation.
The President’s slur has badly damaged the reputation of DBS, Monetary Authority of Singapore, and Singapore. It cast aspersions, what if the president is correct? In the post-truth era, there are many that take to fake news religiously. Fake news in social media from non-entities is one thing, but public pronouncements by the highest official in the land is to be viewed in a totally different spectrum. It requires a response.
Often business considerations and political correctness constraint a response to mischievous pronouncements, but ‘destabilization plots’ is deeply serious. In the interest of putting the truth in the public domain, I call on Mr Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS, and your excellency Ms Kok Li Peng, Singapore ambassador to Philippines, to step up and say something. Your deafening silence perpetuates the thinking amongst many that the President may be right after all. I consider it a dereliction of duty that insinuation of participation in a destabilization plot against a friendly country is left uncontested.
Sincerely yours,
Concerned Singaporean Citizen
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
I strongly detest the idea that cancelling or closing a bank account zaps all trace of the account as alleged by President Duterte. I strongly expound the idea that closing an account does not wipe out trace of the account. Is President Duterte testing the intelligence of the Filipinos? Maybe so, because Filipinos to this day believe that closing and cancelling the account wipes out trace of the account that is why they are still debating the merit of President Duterte’s lies.
If true that it wipes out trace of the account, I WILL CANCEL AND CLOSE MY VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS AND MASTER CARD ACCOUNT SO I WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY IT NO MORE …. APPARENTLY hoi poloi truly understand this statement but cannot apply the statement to Duterte’s allegation.
WHY IS THAT SO? SOMETHING IS WRONG!
“‘No such accounts, said the bank teller when I showed my passport and two account numbers given by Duterte, Erwin Tulfo, and Mocha Uson. I also clarified if there’s Antonio F. Trillanes IV or Antonio F. Trillanes either existing or closed accounts and whether single or joint accounts on their bank,” the senator said.” – MANILA TIMES
DBS Singapore’s banking secrecy and privacy law by allowing a lawmaker/senator from the Philippines to inquire about a person’s purported existence account in DBS Bank.
Remember, the alleged bank holder is Antonio Ffuentes Trillanes not himself as shown in Philippine passport. The bank clerk … the bank manager …. should be fired for allowing someone from the Philippines who claimed to be a lawmaker and a senator to inquire about a bank account without Singapore’s justice seal of approval.
DBS should not entertain such inquiry unless there was an approval from Singapore Judges.
Gosh, how naive these Singaporeans are. I am not a banker. But I do know when a bank breaches the secrecy and privacy laws.
No one at the DBS counter would have entertained Trillanes without him showing proof of his identity. He would have offered his passport. The bank would have checked on the basis of both name and PP nbr. We know how names are, often with or without middle names, or shorted middle names. It is the PP that mattered. So please don’t dumb down on DBS. Spore has a national registration ID not for nothing. It’s a nation that relies heavily on documentary proof.
Onli in da Pilipins do they make an issue of middle names, Jr., second names.
As long as first name, surname, date and place of birth match international banks usually are OK. Josephivo once wrote about Philippine bank hassles, and I know a few more stories.
*******
As an admirer of Singapore’s trustworthiness in banking and as a former bank account holder of an international bank on Orchard Road, Singapore, I second the call on Mr. Piyush Gupta and Her Excellency Ms. Kok Li Peng to defend the banking institution and the Singapore government from the slanderous charges advanced by the Philippine President.
Respectfully,
A Concerned Filipino Expatriate
*****
The latest update I can find. This one is from the Philippine Star.
“According to the bank’s spokesman in Singapore, clients cannot close their bank accounts via the internet, basically similar to the answer of the social media team of DBS.
“We can confirm that accounts cannot be closed via an online channel,” the spokesman of DBS bank said in an e-mail to Philstar.com.
The spokesman who declined to be named, however, refused to answer if Trillanes had or still has accounts with DBS, citing his country’s bank secrecy laws.”
In the U.S., like any other countries from Afghanistan to Zanzibar a person wanting to open an account has to show their faces: show state-issued photo ID and stash of cash to deposit same is true when closing an account.
This what bothers me, I can close my credit card accounts on-line. I can apply for one on-line but not open a bank account nor close a bank account. Why is that?
There are naive and lame people all over the world. One that reminds me is of a Philippine General who walked up to United Nations Office in East 42nd Steet in New York flashed his PMA ID, Philippine General ID and passport and ask for payment of blue-helmet Philippine soldiers in Kosovo.
He was handed the check … flew back to Philippines and deposited the check …. IN HIS ACCOUNT !!! Question arose:
1. The bank accepted a check payable to Republic of the Philippines deposited in the General personal account;
2. That possible?
3. Must be because it happened
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE MONEY?
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE GENERAL?
IS IT STILL INVESTIGATED?
OR, IS IT FORGOTTEN?
BEEN OVER HALF-A-DECADE ALREADY, WHERE IS PHILIPPINE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS?
WHERE ARE THE NEWS PEOPLE?
IF FORGOTTEN, WHY?
WAS THERE A VERDICT HANDED DOWN?
WHERE IS THE GENERAL NOW?
What happened in Singapore happened in New York happens most of the time in the Philippines.
Color me naive but interested.
Kindly enlighten me with further details.
It sounds like kwentong barbero. Ano iyan? Tulfo’s blind item? 🙂
Amazing…Honestly?…….A Foreigner going all the way to Basco Batanes for the feel of nature, rest, sound sleep with healthy food is getting high blood from politics in the Philippines by a sat phone? You should by out now walking in the nature, using the sand at the beach to relax, counting sheep, catching fish for lunch, exercise your muscles on a bike to try to become one hundred years at least( No, sorry, you don’t get the 100.000 peso with a 13A visa)….Are you sure there are drug stores in Basco to supply you with Amlodipine tablets?
Ps, your sat phone needs a new keyboards, the caps lock button is hanging sometimes.
🙂
Basco, you are perhaps ignorant there are operating bodies which are not legal entities. In such cases, the organisation cannot open a bank account because it is not a legal entity under the SEC, or business names legislation, or registered societies legislation. In such cases, the organisation often opens bank accounts under one of their committee name, oftentimes, the Treasurer. This is also true in various governmental task forces or special groupings.
I’m not saying that was the case of the Generals you mentioned, but there are indeed circumstances where govt related transactions have cheques made payable to persons, instead of a govt office.
Sabtang. got me curious. ok fine, what is the name of this General? When did this took place? Date?
I too, am a great admirer of Singapore, and so call on Mr. Piyush Gupta and Her Excellency Ms. Kok Li Peng to defend the truth, and the banking institution and the Singapore government from the charges hurled by the Philippine President.
A Concerned Filipino Citizen
I am also inspired to write US Federal Reserve System chair Janet Yellen and ask if it is true that the US is manipulating the exchange rate, according to Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/27/16/duterte-claims-us-manipulating-peso
This is important because it comes from a head of state who has lambasted the US on so many occasions since the start of his term, but now appears to be backtracking and seeking help for his bloody drug war.
Hmmm… US currency manipulation to destabilize his administration. That is a very loaded accusation but coming from an insecure head of state who sees destabilizing unicorns in every corner, I am very skeptical.
Just go on Trump’s twitter and tweet him your question. 🙂 Or have the local media ask the US Consulate about the veracity of PRD’s statement. There should be an effort from the media to get the other side of story, right?
We all know that PRD is not the factual and research type of person. His recent pronouncement that Bongbong Marcos was 7 years old when his father plundered the PH coffers made a lot of Filipinos sigh in disgust. If there is a PRD “whisperer,” he/she needs to be fired for filling him with vacuous and preposterous information.
I am with you, chemrock. The only way to stop someone from spreading unsavory tales is to confront them with the truth. A diplomatic statement from Singapore will set the record straight.
He’s also blaming Carpio-Morales for that bus hostage taking in Luneta, but she was appointed one year later.
“When the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. When the facts are not on your side, pound on the table.”
Again, who is using one’s playbook between the two President’s across the Pacific Ocean. Methinks both. If the events were episodes in SNL that would be very entertaining. Oh well …
Dear Concerned Filipino Citizens, Expatriates, OFWs and Immigrants,
If you do not believe what your President says why bother writing us a letter about what your President said about our bank that you said are fake? You want us to respond to fake pronouncement from your President?
That would make our bank look bad responding to all your request when you already knew that what is coming out from your President is fake.
Unless you want us to double-down on your President fake made-up account that you already knew.
Now, I am confused. Again, what is your intent for our need to react to your President?
Thank you,
Concerned
Thank you for helping me figure out why you are still in moderation. It is because most contributors here, while confident, are just as open to listening as speaking. Confidence that is attached to ego becomes arrogant in certain circumstances, and there is more intent to preach than teach. So to earn the editor’s confidence in your postings, you have to convince me that: (1) you are not into personal attacks, and (2) you can listen as well as speak, and (3) do these things in some moderation so as not to dominate the discussion. Then I’ll let you loose and you can be a healthy contributor to discussions here.
Right now, I do not have that confidence.
As I was reading your comment, I thought of:
– different strokes for different folks
– what is eating the fellow?
Fairness urges me to say, it is probably something in between those two ends.
It is, right in between, and commenters can either test or help the editor. Most help. LCX tends to test. Bosco tests, right now. Interestingly enough, Irineo went from testing to helping, a rather amazing transformation, good for him, good for us.
Which causes me to think that Irineo’s blog, in the geneology of PH blogs, is a spin off from this one. During the testing moments. haha
Yes, Irineo, implausible as it may seem, did the amazing transformation. But then Irineo is made of superior character, after seemingly relentless testing of TSH.
Joe,
If you remember I too was instrumental in delivering Ireneo from testing to instrumental, no? Which is why I was the very first commenter on his blog—— that is until he talked about German laws and the lack of 1st Amend. rights (Stasi-esque) laws there still in effect (or as a result of Nazi defeat, i dunno), which caused me to be wary of commenting on his blog in the end. Though I still read articles. 😉
So in a way, I’m helping-testing-helping , w/ ‘testing’ more as a filling (the sweet variety) than the default setting. Sorry I haven’t posted of late, but rest assured I am reading the articles. TSOH, good morning!!! There is now some Australian guy speaking in the News here about Paddock in Las Vegas, who’s a husband of Danley’s sister (brother-in-law of Danley) in Australia , could this be (our long lost…) Bill of Oz? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
Good morning, LCX. Good to hear from you, and thanks for keeping up with the reads. Yes, you are a rich part of our work here, and distance makes the heart grow fonder. I doubt it’s Bill, but have no idea.
This is such a cool demonstration of the TSOH’s consistency, i.e. pursuit of transparency, self-protection against ambiguation and deceit. ever-Padayon, Joe! (I hope got the word right)
Padayon, yes!
I’m afraid that Duterte and Tulfo will have another presscon where Duterte will say ” I just invented those DBS banking processes and policies, sumakay naman kayo…. I was trying to entrap DBS and the Singapore govt into lying patong patong na yan,,, anak ng pateteng….”
ha ha ha ha 🙂 🙂 🙂
A lie repeated too often becomes normalised as a fact. If a few good men do not rise up and challenge the lie, evil will win. This is what the article is all about.
But behold, the Duterte magic is waning. The cheering crowds are leaving. We now see more and more push backs.
– Chief Justice and Ombudsman are women of great integrity and courage. They won’t be intimidated.
– Iloilo business groups are rejecting the baseless claims of their region being the most shabulised. They have come up with their “Proud to be Illongo” campaigns.
– Atty. Mel Sta. Maria, Dean of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute of Law explaining constitutional law to him re his threats against Ombudsman and SC.
https://backroompolitics.net/2017/10/02/dean-lectures-duterte/
And many others who no longer will remain silent.
How do we know things are going sour in Malacanang? — when certain gentlemen in the Senate are feeling uneasy of they sycophantic stance. They feel the shifting sand under their feet.
How do we confirm that things are so bad for da boss now? When the wifey has to take time away from million pesos donut business to make a public defense of him.
JP, in the previous blog, posted this link of an opinion piece by Walden Bello published in Rappler. I think it is relevant here.
https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/184107-rodrigo-duterte-downhill-from-here
Exactly!
Natawa ako ng umalingawngaw na ang asawa ni By Bernard Ong
PUNTO POR PUNTO: DISSECTING CAYETANO
What he said at UN General Assembly. And what I think about those.
A. “As a responsible leader, the Philippine president launched a vigorous campaign against the illegal drug trade to save lives, preserve families…”
13,000 lives saved? Many breadwinners among them. Lots of widows & orphans. OFW families reunited by parents returning to bury their kids.
B. “As of August 2017, drug trade penetrated 59% of barangays.”
Wow. 41% are actually drug-free. Your hysteria made it sound much worse.
C. “The neglect of the drug problem by previous governments has left the current one hard pressed to rehabilitate them all.
Really? There were 1.8m drug users in Dec 2015 under Aquino. By your own estimates, there are now 4m drug addicts under Duterte. Good job!
D. “Drug trafficking surely calls for stern measures.”
You mean stern measures against lowly pushers and middling mayors. What about Peter Lim? Davao Group? China – source of almost all shabu to the Philippines?
E. “Accusation before an investigation is not proof.”
Agree. Notable examples: Drug lists not validated by PNP or NBI or PDEA. Tokhang operations targeting entire communities. House-to-house drug testing. Trumped-up charges vs De Lima. Fake offshore accounts vs Trillanes.
F. “The President has and will always have zero-tolerance for abusive cops, as time will show.”
What about Supt. Marvin Marcos? Davao Death Squad? Time has shown.
G. “Drug trade penetrated even law enforcement.”
Yup. It has penetrated even those who claim to hate drugs in Davao.
H. “Appeasement emboldens evil.”
You’re talking about drugs here. But this applies as well to appeasing China as they steal our islands & seas. Or keeping quiet as thousands are slaughtered.
I. “We prize sovereignty in all its aspects”.
Really? So why are we subservient to China on Panatag, Spratly, even Benham Rise.
J. “The (South China Sea) issues are numerous, intertwined and complex. Territorial claims, Sovereignty rights, security and protection of marine life and resources.”
The single biggest issue is China’s 9-dash line – claiming 90% of South China Sea without basis. This has been repudiated by UN Tribunal ruling. The second-biggest issue is Duterte’s refusal to assert Tribunal ruling.
K. “Philippines looks forward to commencing negotiations on the long-overdue code of conduct in West Philippine Sea / South China Sea.”
It is long overdue because China engaged in delaying tactics – while expanding their areas, reclaiming artificial islands, and militarizing these with bases.
L. “We thank the individual ASEAN states and China for their utmost cooperation.”
China should thank you & Duterte for your service. Not the other way around.
M. “We should never tolerate human rights abuses, but neither should we tolerate misinformation, fake news…”
Misinformation & fake news? Look beside you. Tell her there are 6 criminal cases waiting for her at home.. Somehow, his tutas spokepersons can not rise from this patong patong na blunder ng amo nila.
#SignOrResign
#SnapElection
And the list goes on and on and on …..
“How do we confirm that things are so bad for da boss now? When the wifey has to take time away from million pesos donut business to make a public defense of him.”
Honeylet is real masa as opposed to Duterte who is from a political family. No Pinay has -let or -lyn suffixes in her name and has rich parents. She is in that respect a hidden political asset.
True, the counteroffensive has started. But I would not underestimate it YET as of now.
Plus also what I really like is the executive from the Civil Service Comm who spoke out against the shit from Malacanang. Having civil service comm people speaking out for what is right is very very important I think.
The discussions here are totally unlike other exchanges of ideas. I am sort of confused. Cannot make heads and tails of the above other than that DBS of Singapore had allowed these shenanigans and Duturd continue to excrete his dirty jokes and antics. What a shame!. Really…end times…
As I said above, it is about the need to stand up for the truth, whoever you are, when confronted with evil lies.
Chemrock, many thanks. The fact that Sabtang Basco is trying to cast doubt on the visit of Trillanes by using a very provincial argument (who outside Philippine banks make a huge fuss because of second, middle and Jr./III additions to names – internationally first name, surname, birthdate and place are sufficient plus a passport or ID of course) shows how important it is to address these topics. And as we now a too polite, restrained response is seen as WEAKNESS in the Philippine jungle.
Modern people (Singaporeans, most “yellows”, developed countries) do not usually dignify nonsense like the one that comes from Duterte. But in Filipino popular imagination, those that stay silent are admitting their guilt. Taiwan may already know this better, so they responded quickly yet politely.
And of course, DBS will answer Trillanes if he asks about HIS stuff, but not answer Filipino journos (third parties) about whether he has an account or not – this is normal as these are banks, not Aling Charing’s carinderia somewhere in the middle of Quiapo. Most Filipinos will not get this either.
So I hope that DBS and Singapore answer your query, also because of the aspersion cast by Duterte.
Of course the marketplace of popular opinion is another one in the developed world which includes Taiwan and Singapore. Why should they care about the yelling and screeching of Aling Charing and Tita Onyang somewhere in the pancitan. But unfortunately, the noodle house is also a state.
You are right. The ordinary guys wont know the difference between a bank and your carinderia and how these behave. That’s why every little twist by liars must be definitively destroyed in its bud. Explained in a way they understand. That’s probably why Trillanes did the drama at DBS branch.
Duterte, who is making multiple visits to Marawi these days, just said something funny and detrimental to his cause.
He says the info re his bank transactions/records were stolen from the Central Bank by a woman who is a partner of a colonel.
If his point is that the info cannot be used in court, ok. BUT AS FAR AS THE AVERAGE FILIPINO IS CONCERNED, THAT MEANS THE INFORMATION IS CREDIBLE.
That brings us to why the Pnoy admin didnt take action years ago.
Interesting to watch how the new hands at AMLC play their part. If they turn out to be sycophants too, then the reputation of Bangko Sentral will be irreparably tarnished. Will another institution bite the dust??
There’s a new group in town called the Citizen National Guard composed of fringe politicians, retired military men, kibitzers.
One look at the lineup of personalities involved and it’s the “2pc Chickenjoy if you attend a rally” crowd plus the “retirees whose retirement did not work out.” 🙂
Chempo, here’s the resume of the Daniel “Snooky” Cruz that Trillanes referred to as the source of Duterte’s intel on Trillanes and De Lima’s alleged bank accounts (which had similarities in format) . It’s also on linkedin.
If accurate, it supports the view that the source HAD NO BACKGROUND on banking/ finance, operations and processes, hence the poor quality of the FABRICATION of the intel.
If indeed true, what a waste of intelligence funds! Everyone was fooled – Mocha, the trolls, and Duterte!
Well if it’s true I hope his alma mater is proud.
And I wonder how it helps his credibility as a security consultant.
Do university’s have the right to withdraw one’s degree?
His degree is in Business Management but it seems that most of his jobs are security related? Like weh?
This is a general comment, applicable to consulting jobs in general:
There is a tendency for people in this kind of business to inflate/embellish/expand their capabilities, since consulting jobs are quite unstable as a source of income. Though it could be huge-paying at times, it is not permanent. And sometimes it also requires a lot of inside connections to get a contract.
In the past, we would spend a lot of time vetting a potential consultant (economics/policy field) to hire because they may not be able to do the job despite their resume. So it requires a lot of background research.
SALN has become an official blackmail tool of anyone who has a beef against anyone.
Unlike in the U.S. which Filipino “intelligentsia” look up to including jeepney drivers, cigarette vendors and all sidewalk vendors, SALN should not be allowed to gather dust. There should be bureaus in cabinets that should look into each and every SALNs so it does not become fishwives rumormongering. All candidates running for public office should submit SALNs along with their intent to run the country make it public to root out the crooks and potential crooks.
Filipinos love controversies because it is entertaining. It sells newspapers and put gossipers in the limelight to jumpstart their political career. I can see bloggers and commenters are skirting the issue. They do not want to nip it in the bud. They prefer to let it grow.
It is good though if that is what they wanted. They are the one running the country in an entertaining way.
John Doone said:
“any man’s death diminishes me.”
THE VEGAS MECCA
One need not be a Hadji (Haj) a devout Muslim who has prayed to Allah in Medina not to know of another Mecca (pronounced Makka), not only even in name but in its dis-essence (or dissonance), in its sinful opposite, a shallow glorious place of unwary innocents, seeking ephemeral pleasures, rightfully a diversion, a gift to the entitled for their hard work and sacrifices. Las Vegas is a place to unwind, to taste the fruits as rewards of honest toil lived elsewhere; for God’s common working men and women to make a VERY FEW fortune hunters and celebrities in the entertainment world filthy RICH and IMMORTALS.
No. No. NO. Popoy isn’t mimicking Burt Lancaster preaching like revivalist Elmer Gantry his lungs bursting: REPENT SINNERS FOR THE END IS NEAR. Popoy is only blogging beneath the eche bucheches of trolls and the righteous.
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0038557/quotes
The Vegas Machine Guns Massacre IF examined, thought over, cogitated on, speculated on to the extent of the WEIRD: what happened in the Las Vegas Concert MASSACRE is as if God is sending a message in the most appropriate venue: in Las Vegas; an EQUALIZING message.
Hello? Sorry, How’s that again? Rewind the time to remember the events of the GREAT 50s, the early still GREAT 60s; the ROCKING AND ROLLING INTEGRITY of humble rockers and rollers, the hippies and the flower people, the peaceniks and beatniks, of draft protests and dodging, of the Gay’s Castro Street in Frisco, of the orig Harlem basketball Team, of the time of all the God’s immodern man when greed was absent in the hearts men; of Woodstock, of psychedelic art which started in Oxford University, of LSD and Mary Jane.
Of the romantic time when rebels yell: MAKE LOVE NOT WAR, when the anthem and the flag were like respect for Jesus Christ; when statues of those with heroic feet of clay were as inconspicuous as the daily scene; and when there was yet no thousand names etched in US War Memorials. That time when EQUALITY and greatness in America was like a runaway train on its tracks. There’s nothing stopping it, UNTIL . . .
Now fast forward to the immediate present; days of suicide bombers men, a time of suicides nirvana by pot overdoses of achievers; of prescribed drug addiction for the rich, of homeless men and women in cities, of the downhill trend from the apex of imperfect equality among races of different pigmentation; of media’s articulated reasons by unreason, of fake news galore; and ultimately the dubious irrational struggle for the good life in the free world.
And when Popoy’s conjectures crosses the border into idiocy. Saying like: That’s now needing a message from God.
Popoy’s initial conjecture on the Vegas Massacre:
Such CARNAGE can’t be done by a lone suicide bomber. Not by planted IEDs or a lone Jihadists or by a lone angry ex-military man; not by any two men armed with UZI or Kalasnikov or AR 15 or M16s. It can not be done by any of the above. Now that what really happened is gradually unfolding, Popoy’s conjecture has left out crucial elements like the military mind of always TAKE THE HIGH GROUND. A bullet’s force, speed and lethal effect aimed upwards is the same and equal on its way down ward disregarding the pull of gravity. That there’s a way to outsmart automatic weapons so it will spit more rounds per second.
That there’s a fluke side to hind sights of well-meaning men (and women) who says in disbelief: the wrong doer is kind, honest, generous, loving and harmless person as they knew him. When a man is declared to have murdered 59 and wounded or injured 527 other people, just IN ONE GO. And conjectures are wrong if not puzzling. GOD may be, IS SENDING A MESSAGE.
Popoy is just punching keys in the keyboard like a troll to make wannabe poetry, incomprehensible to the politically correct, the just and righteous men snoozing in noodle land. Hey! Think it not what readers think, because (sa totoo lang, eh) I did not say bloggers in TSOH.
It was a country rock music a genre from down south who are the reddest of the red. They drool over country music, are devoutly religious people, racist republicans. I am hoping the shooter was not a card-carrying democrat else what happens in Vegas will not stay in Vegas.
If Donald Trump winds with information the shooter was a democrat massacring country-rock-loving republicans WATCH OUT ! There will be Sessions to pay.
Media is coming out with background checks on the perpetrator. It is now known that his father was a serial bank robber who suffered from mental instability. The possible conclusion is that the perpetrator suffered from a mental breakdown.
Most of us here believe in a Higher Being. No doubt that He sends us messages from time to time. I, myself, believe in a just, kind and loving Higher Being. I do not believe He will cause a carnage to teach us a lesson. He gifted us with free will to be the best person we can be but a mentally compromised individual loses that.
Now, Now, I know JP got it, BUT others might not. I am not saying or implying He caused the carnage, or trying to teach us a lesson. Just may be sending a message like when he said while nailed to the cross: Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Atty Florin Hilbay now has a Facebook page. Please read his post for illumination about the Philippine Constitution. PH needs a Constitutional expert to teach Filipinos the real deal instead of listening to those who says, “Trust me, I am a lawyer.”
The purpose of his page is to defend the Constitution through knowledge sharing and information dissemination. He needs every Filipino to help him out by learning their rights and responsibilities as citizens as well as the laws of the land to be able to actively participate in the country’s governance.
https://www.facebook.com/Florin-Hilbay-1851464654882202/
“In his privilege speech, Trillanes said a certain Daniel “Snooky” Cruz, whom the senator said claimed to have access to any bank account in the world, sold the information to a Malacañang Palace official for P10 million.” – INQUIRER
A Filipino who has access to any bank account in the world ? THAT IS TOTALLY INCREDIBLE ! NSA, Secret Service, CIA, FBI betcha descend in the Philippines and talk to Lawmaker Senator Trillanes.
Who this certain Daniel “Snooky” Cruz … how Trillanes find out about him … in neanderthal dark geeky ecosystem are the close-knit hackers … If Trillanes knew this guy, Trillanes would check me out and pull my bank account and zap it zero.
*** any bank in the world ***
I’d better deposit my trust account money under my mattress in the fortress of stone houses protected by giant waves in Basco.
Well he really snooked Malacanang. I guess if the admin gets their Intel from Facebook, you can sell them anything. It’s too crazy to be true, but then these are crazy times.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/935361/pro-duterte-groups-targets-state-enemies
http://www.manilatimes.net/doj-probe-yellow-army-bank-accounts/354444/
OK takutan na talaga.
Basco may tama ka este tama ka. The SALN can be used for blackmail if ever.
This DOJ is really a but case.
The dept can only investigate a case when there is a complaint which needs to be verified and if a reasonable case exist then pursue an investigation. So now it’s based on colour and on his whims.
He said as regards offshore accounts only AMLC can access that. Sorry no can do do. AMLC can’t access any accounts.
Then Senator Trillanes was wrong?
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/09/18/1740270/amlc-can-verify-foreign-accounts?nomobile=1
No banks should act on those waivers because its not addressed to them. Trillanes’ waivers mean nothing. Cayetano’s waiver also means nothing. Duterte’s verbal instruction to AMLC to go open his bank accounts mean nothing. WHY? Because none of them are authourising their banks to act.
How can AMLC access a foreign account? AMLC can only ask its foreign counterpart to assist.
This waiver thing is nonsense.
As I mentioned in the article, the issue here has nothing to do with AMLA. Philippines like to obfuscate things. It is a simple case of a bank disclosing a customer’s info to a third party. Bank’s do not disclose customers info not because of AMLA or Banking Secrecy Act. We don’t even need the BSA.
The banker-customer relationship is an agency contract and the element of privacy stems from this contract. There is a fiduciary relationship. This relationship was long established in the celebrated case of Tournier vs National Provincial and Union Bank of England [1924].
The customer’s right to confidentiality is not absolute. It is subject to four exceptions –
– by compulsion of law – eg in Spore our IRA and Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau can write to banks to request info (under some relevant legislation)
– disclosure under duty to the public interest (anti-terrorist investigations eg)
– disclosure under the bank’s own interest
– disclosure under the customer’s approval.
The issue here is the last exception. Customers need to approve the disclosure. Meaning the customer has to authorise the bank. As I mentioned, there are standard forms in place for customers to fill up. Why forms? Because there must be some waiver of liabilities to cover the banks, so the bank forms would have incorporated such a clause.
So it should be customer fill up form to bank to authorise the bank to release certain info to a stated party and the customer waive any liability on the bank as a result of the disclosure. See how the waiver works here? It’s not about waiver to privacy, it’s about waiver of liabilities on the part of the bank for disclosing info as authorised by the bank.
Having said all the above, I know Philippines work in unusual ways. You may have your unusual ways in the country, but if AMLC bring those ‘waivers’ to a foreign bank. they will throw those papers in the trash bin.
Thanks so much Chemrock!
Even foreign states can only assistance from the Philippines, if they want to chreck on one of theur citizens, but we must have a treaty with them and some other factors to accomodate them.
Yes, AMLC can’t access any offshore accounts … only Trillanes’ “snooky”. The last time I heard from our neighbor, SNOOKY WAS AN ACTRESS … could she be it? The Snooky that can access any bank accounts ?
PREPOSTEROUS. It may be true but Trillanes may be hyperballing …
Between Snooky and an unnamed foreign source, I’ll go with Snooky. It’s more credible. From which unamed foreign source did Duterte obtain the info? Spore, Canada, Switzerland? China? Anyone who can fall on Facebook for Intel can fall for Snooky.
If bank accounts are no longer safe from the prying eyes of the DOJ, would it cause a capital flight? If you are a high net worth guy, money earned honestly, but you could be branded yellow and investigated. You could be branded just like the way throw your name into the tohkang box.
Certainly investigation into bank accounts are needed when circumstances require it, such as those BPI accounts of the president. But not on the whims and fancies of DOJ out on fishing trips.
All of these will backfire sooner or later.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/935586/duterte-trillanes-mistress-bank-account-abad-amlc-anti-money-laundering-council
Even maliciously, Duterte admits that info that Trillanes has came from the AMLC.
Thank you, Chem, for doing this, along with a string of whammo articles. You do your country and ours proud. I stand behind your open letter, accepting all assumptions, reiterating your request for clarification in the interest of all concerned. Regards. Keep the faith.
Ditto everything you said, Wil. And keep a good amount yourself.
It’s fast becoming the hallmark of TSOH, if not already there, that there are healthy amounts, takeaways, of education, humor, wide-ranging information that can be had by following the topics and conversations of the blog leader and regulars of the society. Chempo and Wil are the most recent examples. Sometimes I feel like a heel, I take more than I give.
Kudos to TSOH.
Many thanks for the interesting post, it is very useful information for me.
Glad u like it and thanks for dropping by.
Kudos Chemrock! I am waiting for the response of the Singaporean authorities to your letter. I hope they will prove to have more moral mettle than their counterparts in the Philippines.
Thanks for dropping by. But I’m sorry you will be disappointed. Extremely unlikely that they will respond knowing the mindset of Singapore Inc. And I’m not proud of that. That’s one of the reasons why I put up this open letter.