MANILA, Philippines – Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV wants Vice President Jejomar Binay to personally appear before the Senate hearing on the alleged overpriced car park building in Makati City.
Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV and Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
It was Trillanes who filed a resolution in the Senate seeking an inquiry on the issue involving the Vice President and his son, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Junjun Binay.
“E sya yung central figure dito. Si Mayor Junjun Binay is just a minor figure. Ang central figure dito sa imbestigasyon na ito ay si Vice President Binay. Sya yung mayor noong magsimula yung proyekto,” the senator said in an interview with reporters when asked if the Vice President should face the Senate probe.
(He’s the central figure here. Mayor Junjun Binay is just a minor figure. The central figure of the investigation is Vice President Binay. He was the mayor when the project started.)
Trillanes said the Vice President would be invited in the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee in due time so he could give his side of the story.
“Iimbitahin lang naman, hindi naman isa-subpoena. We will accord him all the courtesy that the office deserves so we’d be very careful…,” he said.
The senator was confident that there are bases to pin down the Vice President on the alleged overpriced car park building.
“Hindi ko naman ito ipa-file kung pinulot ko lang sa hangin ano. Nakausap na natin yung mga testigo, may nakita na tayong mga dokumento, so sa ating pagsusuri e may basehan pero don’t take my word for it. Ipi-present natin ito sa public hearing para makita ng taumbayan,” he said.
(I will not file this if I just got this out of thin air. We talked to the witnesses, saw some documents and based on our analysis, there’s basis. But don’t take my word for it. We will present it in a public hearing for the public to see.)
Trillanes brushed aside Senator Nancy Binay’s insinuation that the Senate probe against his father was politically motivated.
“She has every right to say that pero ang sa akin dito, abangan natin next week sa hearing. Kung walang ebidensya talagang pulitika, then I will fall flat on my face. But if not, kung meron naman tayong nakitang ebidensya, aba delikado yun kasi kung yung magiging president natin e magnanakaw pala, kelangang malaman ng taumbayan yun,” he said when sought to react to Senator Binay’s statements.
(She has every right to say that but let’s just wait for the hearing next week. It’s really politically motivated if there’s no evidence, and then I will fall flat on my face. But if not, and we find evidence, that’s dangerous if it turns out that the president we would elect is a thief, the people should know that.)
Trillanes also denied perceptions that his filing of the resolution was part the Nacionalista Party’s move to demolish the Vice President. The NP led by former Senator Manny Villar is said to be fielding its own presidential bet in 2016.
“Walang directive ang NP, trabaho po naming ito bilang senador,” he said.
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