Trillanes et al not quite done with Binay yet

By: TJ Burgonio - 10 years ago

Vice President Jejomar Binay (right) has refused to be drawn into a word war with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (left), another probable presidential contender who had said that the economy would suffer if Binay were elected president in 2016. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines—Sorry, Madam Senator, your colleagues aren’t done yet with Vice President Jejomar Binay.

So have Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano rejected Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s recommendation that they wrap up their public hearings on allegations of corruption and ill-gotten wealth against Binay.

Santiago had proposed that the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee turn over the evidence it has so far gathered during the hearings to the Office of the Ombudsman, which is investigating a plunder complaint against Binay over an allegedly overpriced carpark building.

Cayetano said the hearings were only halfway through as the subcommittee was also set to investigate four other possibly overpriced buildings in addition to the Makati City Hall’s P2.28-billion carpark and P1.5-billion Makati Science High School Building.

“What’s important is that it will show a pattern and it will show that if it can be done in Makati, it can be done with the rest of the country,” he said. “Do we want other cities to learn you can overprice, and not be held liable?”

Cayetano said the inquiry should be conducted professionally and thoroughly so that when the subcommittee comes out with its report, “none from any camp would be complaining.”

“I respectfully disagree it’s time to wrap up the hearings because there are still many pieces of evidence to be gathered, and it’s the Makati city officials who are not submitting,” he said.

Besides, Trillanes said, the present inquiry does not impair the Ombudsman’s investigation of the plunder complaint since the subcommittee has submitted the evidence on the carpark to the body.

“Therefore, the ongoing Senate investigation is not, in any way, delaying the cases filed with the Ombudsman,” Trillanes said.

After holding numerous hearings since August, it is time for the subcommittee to turn over the files to the Ombudsman so the latter could look into the criminal aspect of the complaint, Santiago said.

At Thursday’s hearing, witnesses alleged that the P1.5-billion, 10-story science building was overpriced by P862 million.

Trillanes said that after the Makati Science HS Building, the subcommittee would look into the Nursing Building, City Hall I, Ospital ng Makati and Friendship Suites.

“The focus has now shifted to other anomalies committed by former and current city hall officials of Makati, hence, the need to continue with the investigation,” he said.

Binay has rejected invitations from both the Blue Ribbon Committee and its subcommittee to respond to charges of corruption and ill-gotten wealth against him. He has dismissed the charges, without going into details.

Hurt by the testimonies, the vice president sought out President Benigno Aquino last month on the possibility of talking to the senators, but he was rebuffed.