People who have nothing to hide but afraid of light

The constant recourse of scalawags who cannot prove the legitimacy of their wealth is to go under the skirt of bank secrecy laws to thwart any investigation into their bank accounts. During the impeachment trial of former president Joseph Estrada, his lawyers put up a fierce fight to prevent bank officials from testifying on his bank accounts. Former first gentleman Mike Arroyo managed to keep his brother’s bank accounts sealed. Former chief justice Renato Corona’s lawyers also did their darnedest to suppress any evidence relating to his fat peso and dollar bank accounts.

And now, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s blabbermouths are raising hell and contemplating suits against officials of the Anti-Money Laundering Council for disclosing bank transactions amounting to billions of pesos from accounts in his name and/or held jointly with alleged partners in crime, in violation of the “confidentiality” provision of the law.

And the most laughable thing is, while crooks keep saying they have “nothing to hide” in their bank accounts, they are doing everything in their power to keep those accounts hidden! Surely, if they did nothing unlawful, they should have no problem explaining how they got so very rich, even gloating at the sight of their accusers falling flat on their faces!

It reminds us of the most classic example of this form of doublespeak: While vigorously maintaining they have no Swiss accounts, the Marcoses hired the best lawyers in the world that money could buy to keep the Philippine Commission on Good Government at bay and far away from such accounts!

—MARITES DELA MERCED, [email protected]