Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines —Vice President Jejomar Binay used his meeting with President Benigno Aquino III early this week to allegedly stop the investigation of the Department of Justice, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Friday.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to begin probing the alleged corruption in Makati City and other controversies involving Binay, his family and his associates.
Binay has been accused of receiving kickbacks when he was the mayor of Makati City and using dummies to hide his alleged unexplained wealth, among others. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Trillanes, in an interview over DWIZ, said the meeting between Binay and President Benigno Aquino III Tuesday night was arranged by Communications Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr.
“Nagparamdam po s’ya na parang iniipit s’ya so gusto n’yang malaman kung gagamitin n’ya ‘yung kanila raw pinagsamahan para maimluwensyahan ‘yung Presidente na paatrasin si Secretary De lima e hindi naman ho nangyari ‘yun,” said Trillanes, quoting a source whom he refused to named, but was said to be privy to the meeting.
(He was sending feelers that he was already getting overwhelmed (by the allegations) so he wanted to know if he could use his connection with the President so the President could influence Secretary De Lima to discontinue her probe, but that did not happen.)
“Ito po ay in-arrange ni Sec. Coloma na talagang dati ng nakadikit kay Vice President Binay. Ito ‘yung sinasabi nilang “Noybi” group so ‘yan inareglo n’yan. Saka ‘yung PR (press release) sa kanya rin nanggaling, kay Sec. Coloma,” said the senator. He did not elaborate.
(The meeting was arranged by Sec. Coloma who has long been an ally of Vice President Binay. He belongs to the “Noybi” group so he arranged the meeting. The PR also came from him.)
“Noybi” was the term coined by supporters of the Aquino-Binay tandem during the 2010 elections even if they ran under separate banners. Aquino ran with now Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II while Binay ran with then presidential bet and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.
Trillanes said Binay also probably sought the meeting with the President to clarify that his earlier statements against the administration and some of its allies were not directed to Aquino.
“Sa akin kung magka-clarify ka na hindi ‘yung Presidente ‘yung tinira mo, gawin mo rin publicly kasi ‘yung speech mo, public ‘yun e,” the senator said.
(For me, if you want to clarify that it was not the President you were hitting, then you should make that pronouncement publicly because your speech was done in public as well.)
Before the meeting, Binay took a swipe at how the Aquino administration was allegedly mistreating former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo while handling with kid gloves Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima, who has been accused of allegedly amassing unexplained wealth.
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