Binay skirts corruption allegations in speech at mining conference
Vice President Jejomar Binay
MANILA, Philippines – Although a few demonstrators outside demanded he appear before a Senate inquiry, Vice President Jejomar Binay said nothing about allegations of corruption against him when he spoke at a mining conference Wednesday at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.
Around 30 people, wearing masks in the likeness of Binay, demonstrated outside the hotel to demand that he attend the Senate inquiry into the alleged overpricing in the construction of a P2.3-billion Makati City car park building to answer allegations that he and his family benefited from kickbacks from the project.
Binay told reporters he did not mind the protest against him.
“That’s their right (to rally)… it’s in the Constitution,” he said.
Binay told reporters he would answer the allegations against him in a live address to the nation that his office said would take place on Thursday.
The vice president was supposed to address the nation last Monday but cancelled it to inspect typhoon damage in Cagayan and Isabela province.
Binay was expected to answer accusations by former officials under him while he was mayor of Makati that he had allowed the rigging of bids for infrastructure projects and pocketed kickbacks from those projects,
Binay also would not say if he would accept an invitation for him to appear before the inquiry by a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee on the alleged overpricing of the car park.
“That’s for me to decide,” he said.
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