‘Mercado not fleeing Senate probe’

By: TJ Burgonio - 10 years ago

Former Vice mayor of Makati Ernesto Mercado. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado isn’t fleeing from the Senate inquiry into the alleged anomalies involving Vice President Jejomar Binay, two senators said Friday.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee was aware of Mercado’s departure for the United States, and expected him to be back for the resumption of the inquiry in January next year.

“He’s definitely coming back anytime there’s a hearing,” Cayetano said of the subcommittee’s key witness, who has accused Binay of committing several anomalies while he was mayor of Makati City.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV agreed: “He’s definitely not fleeing. I believe he timed his visit to his family while we’re tackling the budget.”

Trillanes said he was informed of Mercado’s departure for the US, but could not give details. “I don’t know the exact details but I believe he’ll be back in December,” he said in a text message.

Mercado left for Los Angeles Tuesday night purportedly to attend to his ailing wife.

Cayetano said he supported a call made by Mercado, who has been admitted into the government’s Witness Protection Program, to face off with Binay in the Senate in light of fresh charges and countercharges.

Should this happen, the subcommittee members would merely listen as observers, he said.

“Who better to have a discussion of what is true or not true than the accuser and the accused?” he said.

In last week’s hearing, Mercado read an affidavit of one Ariel Olivar who claimed that Binay owned a 150-square-meter apartment in The Peak condominium in Makati.

Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance responded by claiming that Olivar was one of Mercado’s fronts in companies he used to corner P1 billion in government contracts and amass businesses and sprawling real estate, including an entire island in Palawan province.

Olivar said he was a friend of Mercado. He maintained that his name was used as the owner of a condominium unit “supposedly belonging” to Binay.

If the allegations against Mercado were untrue, then Binay was lying, Cayetano said.

“Assuming it’s true that he has also amassed property–remember he admitted being on the take–I’d like to reiterate my question: what kind of public official is Binay? Corrupt public official or incompetent official, or both?’’ he said.

“Why do I say that? Everyone knows that the person who signs the documents, makes the decision in City Hall is the mayor. In fact, in many places, we look at the vice mayor as a spare tire … But in Makati, everyone knew that Mercado was co-running the city with Binay,” he added.

“So, what’s the truth? Was he the front man of Binay and doing all of these with Binay’s instruction, benefiting Binay? Or, two, is Binay that incompetent that he doesn’t know billions of pesos are being stolen left and right, right under his nose?” he said.