Key witness in Batangas property sale faces Senate contempt, detention

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

The 350-hectare property allegedly owned by the Binay family

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has threatened to cite with contempt and detain a certain Laureano Gregorio, the alleged former owner of the controversial Sunchamp Agri-Tourism Park in Batangas province for failing to appear before the Senate despite repeated summons.

It is this same property that Vice President Jejomar Binay now reportedly owns.

Gregorio was among those repeatedly summoned by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee to attend its investigation to shed light on the real ownership of the property.

“He’s an essential resource person so if we don’t accept his showcase order, I’m now putting on record that I’ll move that he be held in contempt and an order of detention be issued,” Cayetano said.

The senator made the manifestation after Senator Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the subcommittee, directed Gregorio and other invited resource persons to issue a cause order explaining their absence in the hearing.

It was Gregorio who allegedly sold the property to Chinese-Filipino businessman Antonio Tiu, who has been tagged as the Vice President’s dummy.

But Tiu and Binay repeatedly denied the allegation.

Tiu even submitted to the subcommittee a copy of a memorandum of agreement between him and Gregorio pertaining to the sale of a 150-hectare property, which he said he bought for P446 million.

Binay’s erstwhile ally, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, had claimed that the property, which he said was 350 hectares, belonged to the Vice President.