De Lima sets meeting with anti-Binay witnesses

By: Tetch Torres-Tupas - 10 years ago

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima

MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Leila De Lima will sit down to talk to witnesses familiar with case against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family.

De Lima issued the statement Friday as the Department of Justice’s attach agency, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), started its investigation into the Binays’ alleged unexplained wealth.

De Lima said she would meet with former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, lawyer Renato Bondal and Nicolas Enciso VI early next week to get more information about their allegations against Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay.

“I intend to sit down with the whistleblowers. I will remind them of their obligations and commitments as a Witness Protection Program (WPP) witness. [I] will also secure more information from them to help us in our decision whether or not the investigation should push through,” De Lima said.

Mercado, Bodal and Enciso, chairman of Barangay Olympia in Makati are under the government’s Witness Protection Program.

A subcommittee of the Senate blue ribbon committee is investigating the alleged practice of pocketing kickbacks from Makati City government projects, including the supposed overpricing of the P2.28- billion Makati City Hall Building 2.

In July, Bondal and Enciso filed charges against the Binays.

The Binays are being accused of stashing public funds as allegedly evidenced by the 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas. Binay has denied the Batangas property was his.

De Lima said the witnesses’ testimonies were “hard to ignore,” as “they have personal and direct knowledge” about the information they were baring to the public.

De Lima also ordered the NBI to track down Gerry Limlingan, the alleged bagman of Binay.

Limlingan’s name came out several times during the subcommittee’s investigation.

De Lima said her order to track down Limlingan and the other personalities mentioned during the Senate inquiry was upon the Senate’s request.

Other names mentioned as Binay’s dummies were Mitzi Sedillo of Agri-Fortuna and one of Limlingan’s aides and Bernadette Portallano also of Agri-Fortuna.