Drilon: Senate may also probe Mercado

Former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado may also be probed by the Senate according to Senate leader Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER file photo.

MANILA, Philippines –The Senate may also investigate former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado over his alleged unexplained wealth if a member initiates a probe on it, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Thursday.

“Kung may mag-file ng resolution at iyan ay irefer sa Blue Ribbon committee o kung saan man, yaan po ay maiibestigahan,”   Drilon said in a radio interview.

(If a resolution will be filed and will be referred to the Blue Ribbon committee or elsewhere, then that will be investigated.)

“Kung may sapat na pruweba at kung may katiwalian, at kung ano ang batas na dapat ayusin para hindi na iyan maulit – dahil ang dahilan naman na iyan ang pakay ng mga imbestigasyon sa Senado – not to find criminal offense, but to aid legislation, ano ba ang maayos na batas natin dito? Yaan po ang layunin ng isang congressional investigation,” he further  said.

(If there’s enough evidence  and if there’s anomaly, and  if there’s a need  for a law to prevent it from happening again because  that’s  the reason why we have  these investigations in the Senate— not to find criminal but to aid legislation. That’s the purpose of a congressional inquiry)

An erstwhile ally, Mercado turned against Vice President Jejomar Binay, whom he accused of receiving kickbacks when he was still the mayor of Makati City and for allegedly amassing unexplained wealth using dummies.

During Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee, Mercado exposed  more properties  allegedly owned by the Vice President, including a unit at The Peak  Condominium under the name of a certain Ariel Olivar.

But the United  Nationalist Alliance (UNA) being headed by the Vice President turned the table against  Mercado and claimed that  Olivar was Mercado’s dummy.

Binay’s  spokesman, Cavite  Governor Jonvic Remulla, earlier said that Mercado was the real owner of the said condo unit.

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