MANILA - Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III believes the Senate is not the proper body to probe the alleged hidden wealth of President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Pimentel said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who has filed a resolution urging the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies to probe the bank accounts of the Dutertes, should file a case before the proper body.

"Before, he tried it against Pulong (Paolo) Duterte and Mans Carpio. Now it's the same thing against other members of the Duterte family," noted Pimentel, currently the president of Duterte's political party PDP-Laban.

"If this is part of just making this issue land in the news, then this should not be allowed. It will be a tragic waste of time by the Senate," added Pimentel.

Responding to the Senate President, Trillanes said he has filed a valid resolution, which should be referred to the concerned committee.

He also insisted that a probe on Duterte's bank accounts is part of the Senate's oversight functions.

"Masyado naman siyang ninenerbyos agad para sa amo niya," Trillanes said, adding that it was the President Duterte himself who challenged the Senate to conduct an inquiry into his bank accounts.

Trillanes on Monday filed a resolution urging a Senate panel to probe possible Anti-Money Laundering Act violations of the Dutertes based on their bank accounts.

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, Senate committee on banks chair, said the panel could only conduct an inquiry if the Dutertes would allow them to look into their bank accounts because of the bank secrecy law.

--with reports from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News