Nancy Binay hits Senate blue ribbon subcommittee over gun issue
SENATOR Nancy Binay expressed dismay at the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee on Thursday for allowing “unsubstantiated” and “unfounded” allegations and videos to be presented in its last hearing.
Binay specifically pointed to the video presented by lawyer Renato Bondal during Tuesday’s hearing of the subcommittee, which supposedly showed her holding a gun during the Dasmariñas incident in 2013.
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But the senator denied owning a gun.
“What I carried was a Samsung Note cellphone, and not a gun as Bondal had insinuated during the last hearing. I dare him to show proof aside from his words,” she said.
“At para maging malinaw sa lahat, wala po akong baril,” she added.
Binay then asked why Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the subcommittee, was allowing the panel “to be ruled by false witnesses who continue to fabricate lies.”
“Nakakalungkot dahil Senator Koko is allowing their so-called resource persons to lie under oath, without even lifting an eyelash, over their unsubstantiated and unfounded allegations and videos. Ano ang koneksyon ng video sa hearing? In aid of legislation ba yun o for purposes of demolition,” she asked.
The senator lamented the Senate hearing has become a venue to present statements that had no legal value and would not even aid the legislative process.
“Sobrang personal na po ang mga hearing. Bakit lagi na lang pinapayagan sina Mercado at Bondal na magpresinta ng statements at allegations na wala namang legal value, and walang purpose except to malign and demolish persons in the eyes of other people?” she said.
(The hearing has become too personal. Why do they always allow Mercado and Bondal to present statements and allegations that have no legal value, no purpose except to malign and demolish persons in the eyes of other people?)
Mercado is former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, the main witness in the ongoing hearings against corruption allegations against the senator’s father, Vice President Jejomar Binay and family.
“Lahat na lang ba ng sasabihin ni Bondal ay tatanggapin ng komite at paniniwalaan as Bible-truth? Unli-daldal na ba si Bondal ngayon?” Binay said.
The senator noted that no member of the subcommittee has even lifted a finger to cite Bondal in contempt for lying under oath.
