Raissa Robles. CATHY MIRANDA/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — A journalist, who interviewed Vice President Jejomar Binay in 2010, faced the Senate hearing on Thursday to present an audio recording of Binay saying that he owned the controversial property in Batangas province.
After giving her opening statement, Raissa Robles acceded to the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee’s request if it could play her interview with Binay on June 29, 2010.
In the said recorded interview, the Vice President categorically admitted owning a property in Batangas province.
Below is a portion of Robles’ interview where Binay talked about the property in Batangas:
Binay: Kasi inulit na naman yung charges na yan. Condos, bahay.
Robles; Hindi, pero, is it – I mean, ok. Personally, I mean, kung anuhin nyo yung family, how many do you own? Houses –Binay: yung bahay namin at saka yung bahay namin sa Batangas…
Robles: Wala nang condo?
Binay: Condo, dati yung anak ko nakatira sa condo. Ngayon nakatira sa bahay…
Robles: Ngayon sa bahay na lang.
Binay: O may bahay na siya. May isang bahay na siya. Siya na lang ang wala dito sa bahay namin.
Robles: Ah, Ok.
Binay: Lahat ng anak ko, at saka yung apo ko, second apo ko kay Abigail, yun lang ang wala dito.
Robles: Sir, yung Batangas is how many hectares?
Binay: Meron akong isang babuyan doon.
Robles: Mga 10 hectares? Eleven?
Binay: Ya.
Robles: Mga around 10 hectares. Namana nyo yoon?
Binay: Binili ko.
But Binay’s spokesman, Cavite Goveror Jonvic Remulla, said the Vice President’s statements during the interview had been clarified by his lawyers.
“The VP was referring to the purchase made by Agrifortuna when he and Dra. Binay were the majority stockholders,” Remulla said in text message, referring to the Vice President’s wife and former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay.
“The VP divested from Agrifortuna in 1994. He then formed JCB Farms as a single proprietorship which leased the property from Mr. Gregorio,” he said. Gregorio is Laureano Gregorio, who was allegedly the former owner of the Batangas property.
“I think we need to be reminded that before jumping to hasty conclusions, even journalists need a clear grasp of all the facts,” Remulla added.
Robles also told the committee that while interviewing the Vice President in his house in Makati City, she also noticed wrapped glass bowls labeled “Batangas” and “Alfonso.”
Photos of the labelled bowls were also showed in a slide presentation.
Aside from the Batangas property, Binay also allegedly owned a property in Tagaytay City but he also denied it.
Originally posted at 11:37 am | October 30, 2014
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