P10-M payment by Binay camp to witness bared in exchange for silence

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA , Philippines – The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay allegedly paid a witness P10 million to prevent him from appearing before the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigating the controversial Makati City Hall 2 parking building, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV disclosed on Wednesday.

Trillanes made the expose after former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado told the subcommittee that he was offered money to stop him from testifying in the Senate.

Mercado said that after he first appeared and testified before the committee, he was approached by their common friends, requesting him to stop talking against the Vice President.

“Merong mga pahapyaw kung ano ang kailangan, ibibigay huwag lang ako magsalita o wag ko na lang dadagdagan ang sasabihin. Pero tinanggihan ko po yun,” he said.

(There are hints that whatever I need will be given as long as I stop talking or I no longer add to what has been said. But I rejected this.)

“Nagsalita po ako ulit sa apat na pagdinig. Lumaki na ho ang ante. Wala ng halagang sinasabi kundi magkano ba ang halagang kelangan kong kapalit para hindi na magsalita. Ang sagot ko po sa ibat ibang kaibigan namin ni VP Binay, walang halaga ang pagkatao ni Nestor Mercado. Hindi ko po kelangan yung pera…” Mercado added.

(I have spoken in four hearings. The ante has been raised. My testimony has become worthless and that what matters is how it will cost in exchange for my silence. My response to my common friends with VP Binay is that I have no price. I don’t need money . . .)

Trillanes backed Mercado’s claim.

“Yang regarding sa pagaalok ng pera kay Vice Mayor Mercado ma-attest ko rin yan dahil alam nyo ho in the course of these proceedings , ito pong isang testigo, yung dating city engineer Nelson Irasga ay dapat makukuha naming testigo dito subalit sya po ay binayaran ng kampo ni VP Binay ng P10 million at ito ay sinabi sa amin,” said the senator.

(Regarding the offer of money to Vice Mayor Mercado, I can attest to that because in the course of these proceedings, this one witness, the former city engineer Nelson Irasga who we should have taken in as witness backed out because he was allegedly paid P10 million by the camp of VP Binay and this was revealed to us.)

“Kada hearing yun kaya ng patuloy ang paghikayat namin kay Nelson Irasga para kukubra lang sya ng P10 million kasi the moment na huminto yung pagbigay nya ay lalabas na dito si Engineer Nelson Irasga,” Trillanes added.

(Every hearing, we have tried to entice Nelson Irasga who has been receiving money abd the moment this stops, he will testify.)