President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday described the filing of plunder charges against him as politically motivated and a plot to wreak havoc on his political plans.
At the same time Binay said political operators have sprang into action to sow intrigue between him and President Benigno Aquino III.
“This complaint is no exception, although we have been informed that this time around, our local opponents have been provided with the needed resources, financial and otherwise, by certain national interest groups, particularly a group of lawyers closely identified with a national personality,” he said in a speech before the Financial Executives of the Philippines (Finex) and Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).
The filing of complaint, which Binay described as “devoid of actual basis,” came after the release of the results of a Pulse Asia survey showing he was the top choice for president in the 2016 elections.
Binay said the complainants belonged to “a known group of lawyers who has been trying to resurrect dismissed cases against him.”
Lawyers Renato Bondal and Nicolas Enciso VI of Save Makati Movement brought plunder and graft charges against Binay, his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and 23 others over the alleged “unconscionable overpricing” in the construction of an 11-story parking building that the city government supposedly built for P1.56 billion.
The group claimed that the New Makati City Parking Building on F. Zobel Street in Barangay (village) Poblacion was arguably “the most expensive parking building in the entire country.”
Binay pointed out that complainants focused on his allies in Makati and did not include the names of their allies and partymates who are part of the city council.
The Vice President said he expects more issues to be raised against him in the coming months.
“Believe me, this is only the beginning. We expect more to come. And like the one filed yesterday (Tuesday), these complaints will be devoid of facts, devoid of legal basis, and fueled by the dirty politics that was supposed to have been swept away with the previous administration,” he said.
He also accused the complainants intend to sow intrigue between him and President Benigno Aquino III by spreading the word that the Palace was behind the complaint.
“And it appears that there is a deeper agenda at play. We have been told that those who are pulling the strings want to sow intrigue between President Aquino and myself. They want me to think that the Palace is orchestrating the filing of this baseless complaint against me and my son to divert attention from the impeachment complaints filed against the President,” he said.
“Gusto nilang isipin ko na pakana ito para isalba si Pangulo at dahil dito ay magtampo ako at sumama ang loob sa ating Pangulo. Sa madaling salita, gusto nilang pag-awayin kami ng ating Pangulo,” he said.
The Vice President said he was confident that this “politically motivated” complaint would be dismissed. He will instead continue to focus on his government work.
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