MANILA, Philippines–Vice President Jejomar Binay’s youngest daughter Joanna Marie Bianca may have unwittingly provided proof that their family owned the high-end P1.2-billion farm in Batangas province.
In her Instagram (IG) account jmblicious, Joanna posted messages and pictures of the farm’s amenities, claiming the property as “our place.”
One of her posts, which came with a picture of three boys frolicking in a pool amid a grove of trees, read: “… our place in Batangas.”
In two other posts, Joanna uploaded a picture of her riding a Segway, and a photo of a unique-looking bicycle, owned apparently by brother Makati Mayor Jejomar “Junjun” Binay Jr., both in front of the farm’s clubhouse.
In yet another, she posted a picture of her father, the Vice President, wearing a bull cap and a jacket, holding a microphone, with the message: “its karaoke time!”
The pictures were apparently taken in December 2012.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday presented the Binay daughter’s Instagram posts to dispute claims by the Binay family that it leased only 9 hectares of the 350-hectare farm in Rosario town.
“Did you file a case against jmblicious?” Cayetano asked lawyer Martin Subido at the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee inquiry into Makati City’s allegedly overpriced P2.28-billion parking building.
Subido, lawyer for the Vice President and businessman Antonio Tiu, responded: “Your honor, it’s not contrary to the rights of Sunchamp.”
Cayetano pressed on and asked what “our place in Batangas” meant.
Subido said: “This could mean anything.” Cayetano asked: “In what world?” The lawyer replied: “In any sensible man’s world.”
Cayetano then asked: “Doesn’t that mean they own it?” Subido responded: “Your honor, I don’t see the question, ‘Where are you?”
The senator then clicked on the slide showing the young Binay’s response to a friend asking about the backdrop of her pictures: “our place in batangas,” and said: “That answers your question.”
Subido maintained that the Binays were not claiming a right “adverse” to Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp.
Not proof of ownership
‘OUR PLACE IN BATANGAS’ Joanna Marie Bianca, youngest daughter of Vice President Binay, may have provided “evidence” that her family owns the sprawling agricultural estate in Rosario, Batangas province. INSTAGRAM PHOTOS
Pictures do not prove ownership, according to the Binay camp.
“Nag-videoke ka lang, may-ari ka na (Does enjoying a videoke mean that you own the property)?” Binay’s spokesman Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said immediately after the photos were shown at the hearing.
Remulla said the Vice President and his family had been “open about using facilities and visiting Rosario.”
This was because Binay’s wife, Dr. Elenita Binay, has a flower farm inside the property, according to the Cavite governor.
“But these photos, like previous photos shown by Senator Cayetano, are not proof of ownership,” Remulla said.
Former Makati Vice Mayor Nestor Mercado has accused Binay of owning the sprawling estate with luxurious amenities, such as a mansion, a maze garden, orchard and horse ranch.
Tiu, owner of Sunchamp, has come forward as the owner of 150-hectares of the estate.
Subido claimed that the farm was only 145 ha, not 350 ha, and 9 ha of this was leased by Binay starting 1994. Binay’s JCB Farms occupied three hectares.
Binay said he sold JCB Farms for P10 million to Agrifortuna, which is owned by Laureano Gregorio. The Binay couple had been incorporators of Agrifortuna for a paid-up capital of P50,000 but sold their shares to Gregorio in 1995, according to the Binay camp.
Sunchamp acquired Gregorio’s rights to the property, and this has been disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Tiu, also chair of agro-commercial enterprise AgriNurture Inc. and holding firm for renewable energy businesses Greenergy Holdings, earlier said Sunchamp was leasing land from several parties, including Agrifortuna Inc., but the contract with Agrifortuna was for less than 10 ha.
Most powerful pictures
Cayetano showed a lengthy PowerPoint presentation complete with TV reports showing different holders of titles to the farm close to the Binays, magazine write-ups referring to it as the Binay Farm, and pictures of the Binays inside the farm.
“The most powerful pictures come from the Binay family themselves,” he said.
The pictures included that of Binay, clad in fatigues and combat boots, apparently touring friends in the estate.
“Tomorrow is Halloween,” Cayetano said, drawing chuckles. “When the Vice President was there, it wasn’t Halloween. Perhaps, you don’t go to a resort or a home of a friend in a costume. If you’re going around in fatigues, that means you’re at home; you own the place.”
Tiu said he respected Cayetano’s opinion.
“I never wore fatigues except during the ROTC (Reserved Officers Training Course),” Tiu said. He said he’d wear Captain America or Iron Man costumes to a party, but not on an ordinary day. “It’s not my kind of thing, too.”
Cayetano then remarked: “He’s welcome to answer. If it wasn’t his place, why would he wear fatigues when we’re not in a war?”
Tiu confirmed that Binay’s wife, Dr. Elenita Binay, was free to roam the farm beyond the 9 hectares as long as she cleared this with Sunchamp.
He admitted seeing the Vice President visit the farm once. But when it came to the Binay children, he said he had yet to see Sunchamp’s records of visitors.
“So far I have not met them at the farm,” the businessman said of the Binay children.
Tiu said Dr. Elenita had access to the farm because the Binays leased 9 hectares of it.
“As a courtesy to the wife of the Vice President, I didn’t stop her from going around,” he said.
Tailor sews stories together
When Cayetano asked if they were doing these as “acts of ownership,” Tiu replied that there was no problem with the Binays touring the farm as long as they cleared this first with Sunchamp.
“They went there more often than I did,” he said.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV butted in, and said: “Again, we’ve caught him lying… I told you it’s hard to be a tailor and sew stories together.”
He said Tiu had claimed the Binays were limited to visiting the orchard. Tiu denied saying this.–With a report from Christine O. Avendaño
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