Senate ready to move on without Binay’s testimony on overpriced Makati bldg.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee could do without Vice President Jejomar Binay’s testimony on the alleged overpricing of a Makati City parking building, and is ready to inquire into other possibly overpriced buildings in the city, according to Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.

The sub-committee has invited Binay to its hearing Thursday morning to answer charges about the costly P2.28-billion building, but as of Wednesday afternoon the Vice President has not made up his mind.

“Should he decline, we will not have any negative presumption, and we will continue the hearing because we have a lot of clarificatory questions,’’ Pimentel, chair of the investigating subcommittee, told reporters.

Pimentel said the subcommittee could wrap up its hearing, and craft a committee report without the Vice President’s testimony.

“If he doesn’t come, that means he is willing to let the committee draft a report without his participation,’’ he said.

When the plenary session started Wednesday afternoon, Pimentel has not received a formal reply from the Vice President to the committee’s formal invitation.

“I’m still praying he’ll appear,’’ Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters.

The subcommittee has issued a subpoena for Binay’s son, Makati Mayor Jejomar “Jun-jun’’ Binay Jr., and invited previous resource persons. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV indicated that new witnesses would testify.

“We will have at least two witnesses who will provide new information as well as corroborate the testimonies of the other witnesses. As to its explosiveness, it is probably the same level as the earlier hearings,” Trillanes said in a text message.

Mario Hechanova, former vice chair of the Makati government’s bids and awards committee, had testified that the bidding for the construction of the parking building was rigged to favor Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. on the instructions of the elder Binay, who was then the mayor of Makati City.

Binay, through the late city engineer Nelson Morales, gave P200,000 monthly allowance to Hechanova and other members of the bids and awards committee (BAC) to fix the bidding.

Binay’s spokesperson, Cavite Gov. Juanito Vicente Remulla, blamed Hechanova, former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and the late city engineer Nelson Morales for the rigging.

The Vice President, who has announced plans to seek the presidency in 2016, has dismissed the inquiry as another attempt to vilify him given that he had been enjoying high approval ratings.

Pimentel expressed the hope that after Thursday’s hearing, the committee would be able to ascertain if the building was overpriced.

If it’s not overpriced, the subcommittee should stop the hearing. Otherwise, it would pursue the inquiry to cover other possibly overpriced buildings, he said.

“But if the finding is that there is overpricing in one building then that should justify proceeding with investigating other buildings,’’ he said.

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