NBI to probe claim its agents ‘badgered’ Batangas residents to nail Binay

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will investigate accusations made by the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) that some of its agents have forced residents in Rosario, Batangas to identify Vice President Jejomar Binay as the owner of the sprawling hacienda in the area.

“We will check on the said report,” NBI Director Virgilio Mendez said in a text message.

Mendez said they are already verifying the allegations of UNA spokesman Atty. JV Bautista that some NBI agents ”badgered” and ”harassed” the residents into signing affidavits that say Binay owns the estate that critics had called ”Hacienda Binay.”

On Thursday, Bautista, at a news briefing, distributed a sworn statement of a certain Hilario Agbay, one of the residents in the town, as proof that residents were intimidated to link Binay to the land controversy.

Bautista said that Agbay was visited by people, who introduced themselves as NBI agents, “badgering and harassing him into signing a sinumpaang salaysay naming the Vice President as owning the adjacent property.”

”This is the extent to which the adversaries and enemies of the Vice President have gone, utilizing legitimate agencies of the government like the Department of Justice and the NBI,” said Bautista.