Mercado has more ‘goods’ on Binay

Former Vice mayor of Makati Ernesto Mercado. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado has more artillery to launch against Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said on Friday.

Mercado’s trip to the United States has fueled speculations that he had gone there to gather more evidence against Binay.

“I have personally seen much more evidence than what was presented so far in the hearings…There are more pieces of evidence, and they are very damning,’’ Cayetano told reporters. “Of course, we will get the other side to refute the evidence.’’

Otherwise, the senator said he believed Mercado’s statement that it was a “personal trip.’’

Besides, he added there was no need for Mercado to personally go to the United States to gather evidence, say, on a piece of property, since this could be done online, or through a government-to-government coordination.

Mercado, a former aide of Binay, is a key witness in the ongoing Senate inquiry into the corruption allegations against the Vice President.

Mercado has provided testimonies and documents to the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee linking Binay to anomalies. He left for Los Angeles last week on a personal trip, but vowed to be back soon.

The inquiry into charges of corruption and ill-gotten wealth against Binay will resume in January.

Apart from building a pricey P2.28-billion car park in Makati, Binay has been accused of owning a vast, high-end P1.2-billion farm in Batangas and condominium units in Makati through dummies, charges he has denied.

Addressing the Boy Scout of the Philippines, of which he is the president, Binay said he would still end up in Malacañang.

Asked to comment on this, Cayetano said he was happy that Binay remained confident that would win the presidency in 2016.

“But I’m not surprised because he’s very eager (atat na atat) at becoming president,’’ he said, pointing out that Binay did not show up at the Senate to defend his office’s budget, but spent more time doing road shows in the countryside.

“But the second meaning of atat is atras-tago (retreat and hide),’’ he said, referring to Binay’s tactic of dealing with the charges against him. “So it’s up to our people if they want a president who is atat. What we need is a fighting President.’’

Binay backed out of a debate that he had sought with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. He had twice snubbed invitations to appear at the Senate hearing, saying the Senate has no power to expose for the sake of exposure.

He maintained that the Ombudsman was the proper forum to hear the charges against him.