Trillanes insists businessman Tiu is Binay dummy

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

Antonio Tiu. Contributed Photo

MANILA, Philippines–Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV insisted on Tuesday that Chinese-Filipino businessman Antonio Tiu was used as the Vice President’s dummy and he is ready to prove it in the next hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee.

Trillanes said the next hearing of the subcommittee investigating the allegedly anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall 2 parking building is tentatively set on October 23, 2014.

“Our research has yielded otherwise. Tony Tiu is a dummy of the Binays,”the senator said in a text message when sought to react to Tiu’s statement that he was not a dummy of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Asked if he would present evidence in the next hearing of the subcommittee to prove his allegation, Trillanes said: “Yes, we will.”

During last week’s hearing, Trillanes accused the businessman of fronting for Binay on the ownership of a 350-hectare property in Batangas province. On his motion, the committee summoned Tiu to appear before its next hearing.

But in its report Tuesday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Tiu as saying, “I am not a dummy. I am engaged in legitimate business here and abroad primarily on agriculture. I made my fortune through sheer hard work and my determination to succeed. If we really want to count the number of farmers we have been providing jobs and markets, it will run into more than 100,000.”