Binay’s wife cancels Japan trip so as not to undermine pleas vs graft raps

Former Makati mayor Dr. Elenita Binay. INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines — The wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay is not pushing through with his vacation to Tokyo this week.

In a manifestation to the Sandiganbayan, former Makati Mayor and Dr. Elenita Binay decided not to pursue her planned travel to Japan from Dec. 18 to 23 because she expected the court to reject her request for permission to travel.

“Dr. Binay did not anymore seek permission from the Third Division as she expected that she will not be granted authority to travel without undergoing conditional arraignment,” said Binay’s counsel Yorac Sarmiento Arroyo Chua Coronel & Reyes Law firm.

“Dr. Binay’s decision was made in view of the present petitions for certiorari and prohibitions that she filed with the Supreme court, which she thinks will be prejudiced should she voluntarily agree to a conditional arraignment,” Binay’s lawyers added.

On November 27, Binay asked the Sandiganbayan for a travel authority to stay at Shangri-La Hotel in Tokyo.

The Fourth and Fifth Divisions of the anti-graft court had already granted Binay’s travel request last December 11 subject to posting a P90,000 travel bond.

Binay is currently facing three counts of violation of the Ani-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in the Fourth and Fifth Divisions for failing to bid out while jacking up the price of office equipment worth P107 million when she renovated the Makati City Hall.

Binay is also facing separate graft and malversation charges with the Third Division for the purchase of allegedly overpriced beds for the Ospital ng Makati. Binay was mayor of Makati from 1998 to 2001.