Binay denies Mercado rap he acquired P15M log cabin
TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS LOG CABIN Vice President Jejomar Binay reportedly bought a Redwood-type three-bedroom unit log cabin in 1997 for P15 million at The Woodlands in Tagaytay City. Photo shows a log home in The Woodlands posted on the website of Tagaytay Highlands. Houses at The Woodlands are made of western red cedar logs. PHOTO FROM TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS WEBSITE
MANILA, Philippines–Vice President Jejomar Binay allegedly acquired a three-bedroom log cabin in the upscale Tagaytay Highlands but the property was not included in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as it was in the name of his alleged dummy Gerry Limlingan, according to several documents furnished the Inquirer.
The documents were provided by former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, who earlier accused Binay of owning a 350-hectare agriculture estate in Rosario, Batangas province, among his other charges.
Mercado is expected to testify on the log cabin at a Senate committee hearing Wednesday.
The Binay camp on Tuesday dismissed the documents, saying that the Vice President does not own any log cabin in Tagaytay Highlands in Cavite province.
“Vice President Binay categorically denies the malicious and baseless accusation that he owns a three-bedroom log cabin,” said Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman and head of the Vice President’s media office.
Article continues after this advertisementOne of the documents obtained by the Inquirer was a reservation letter for the property dated Jan. 31, 1997, and signed by Belinda S. Lim-Herrera, vice president for the corporate development division of Belle Corp., developer of Tagaytay Highlands.
Article continues after this advertisementThe letter was addressed to Binay, then mayor of Makati City. It was received by the Office of the Mayor by a certain “Rico Jm” on Feb. 3, 1997 at 2:40 p.m.
P15.6M log cabin
“We are pleased to inform you that you have been allocated a Redwood type three-bedroom unit of The Woodlands at Tagaytay Highlands. The purchase price of your unit is P15.6 million.”
The total amount is broken down into 20 percent of the purchase price, or P3.12 million, to be paid upon signing of the reservation agreement; 5 percent of the purchase price, or P780,000, to be paid monthly starting March 4, 1997, and every 15th day of the month thereafter until the delivery of the unit.
The letter further said: “Enclosed is the reservation agreement for your signature(s) on the designated spaces. Please return the said duly signed documents together with your check for P3,120,000 representing item No. 1 [20 percent of the purchase price] above not later than Feb. 7, 1997.
Belle checking records
Asked about the alleged Binay property, Willy Ocier, vice chair of Belle Corp., developer of Tagaytay Highlands, said in a text message: “We are still going through our records and we don’t seem to have records of the docs you are referring to.
“At any rate, we shall be securing the consent of the parties concerned should we come across any such documents in order to comply with the law on privacy of personal information,” Ocier said.
10-percent discount
Another document was Limlingan’s memorandum to “Ate Ebeng” also known as Eduviges Baloloy, executive assistant of Binay when he was a mayor.
Dated May 9, 1997, the memo said that a 10-percent discount [equivalent to P1.56 million that resulted in a net price of P14.04 million] was obtained for the property and that the terms of payment had been extended from 16 months to 20 months.
Memo to M1
On the right portion of the memo showed “TO: M1 [code for Binay] Your copy on the price and schedule of payments. Gerry.”
The document also showed that checks for the monthly payment of the property should be issued to a Henry Sy Jr. “Please make the monthly payments in manager’s check payable to MR. HENRY SY JR.”
No records from SM
Asked about the property, a spokesperson from the SM group said in a text message: “We have no records” [of the alleged transaction]. The Sys of the SM group became majority owners of Belle Corp. in 2010.
In an acknowledgment letter dated Feb. 28, 1997, and signed by Sy, he said: “Received from Mr. Gerardo S. Limlingan Jr., MDB Makati Branch Check No. 0027079 amounting to three million one hundred twenty thousand pesos only (P3,120,000.00) as twenty percent (20%) downpayment for a cedar-type three-bedroom unit of The Woodlands at Tagaytay Highlands in behalf of GSL trust account.”
The check was supposedly received by Sy on Feb. 28, 1997. A photocopy of the supposed check dated Feb. 26, 1996, paid to Sy was also obtained by the Inquirer.
VP’s known address
A copy of the official receipt dated Sept. 2, 1997, Limlingan buying a manager’s check for the amount of P546,000 bearing the address of 8514 Caong St. San Antonio Village, Makati City, a known address of the Vice President. The check was to be paid to Henry Sy.
The manager’s check was bought from Philippine National Bank’s Makati Poblacion branch.
In a Feb. 11, 1998, letter to Herrera, Limlingan said “this is to formally confirm the final choice as site for the Cedar Log Cabin of Mr. Henry Sy Jr. to be at Lot No. 95.
Not proof of ownership
Salgado said the letter of Belle Corp. to Binay dated Jan. 31, 1997, in which Herrera informed the then mayor of Makati that he had been allocated a Redwood Type 3 bedroom at Tagaytay Highlands, was not proof of ownership “because it is a mere general letter of invitation to any prospective buyer.”
Also not proof of Binay’s ownership of the property were the “so-called acknowledgment receipt” from Sy of the 20-percent downpayment addressed to Limlingan and the “memo dated May 9, 1997,” which showed Limlingan informing Ate Ebeng, allegedly Binay’s personal secretary, of the 10-percent discount for the property as well as the schedule of payments for it,” Salgado added.
“The fact that the Vice President does not own a log cabin can easily be verified with the company concerned. It would be highly irresponsible to make such a hasty conclusion without even verifying facts with the company,” Salgado said.
Asked if Binay had a personal secretary named Ate Ebeng, Salgado said he knew only Lilian Alvir and Rico Miralles, who served as executive assistants of Binay when he was still mayor.
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