Binay unfazed by allegations of graft by rivals
Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay says he is not distracted from his job by allegations of corruption being leveled at him and his family by his political rivals.
“You know, my detractors would be mistaken to believe that the allegations against me that had no basis and were all lies would distract me. I continue to do my job,” Binay said in an interview with an unnamed organization. His office released the transcript of the interview on Saturday.
Binay described how he was doing his work despite the ongoing Senate inquiry into charges by former Makati City officials that he and his family profited from city government projects during his three terms as mayor.
At the center of the inquiry is a multi-story car park building that is allegedly overpriced at P2.28 billion.
One of the witnesses called to the hearings was former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, who admitted that he made money from city government projects and charged that Binay, being the mayor, must have made more.
Another witness, Mario Hechanova, former head of the city’s bids and awards committee, claimed that Binay, through the late city engineer Nelson Morales, gave him a monthly allowance of P200,000 to rig the biddings in favor of certain contractors.
The Vice President dismissed the allegations as “lies” and his new spokesperson, Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, called Mercado, Hechanova and Morales the “triumvirate of corruption” that rigged biddings for the city government’s projects.
In the interview, Binay said some people he met on a recent trip to Mindanao advised him not to lose faith because they knew that his political rivals were just maligning him, as he continued to top opinion polls for the 2016 presidential election.
Binay said he felt he continued to have the people’s support.
He promised to continue doing his job despite the controversy.
“Jojo Binay will not change. I will not forget my work,” he said.
A subcommittee of the Senate blue ribbon committee investigating the parking building controversy has said that Binay is welcome to appear at the hearings to answer the allegations.
On Sunday, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said more people with knowledge of corruption in Makati City had volunteered to testify in the inquiry.
“Not only those from Makati but also [other people] who have information relevant to the issue,” Trillanes said in a telephone interview.
Trillanes said the volunteers had been referred to the subcommittee headed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.
RELATED STORIES
Binay seeks Manny V. Pangilinan for VP
Senate a ‘kangaroo’ court–Binay camp
