Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER.net/Cathy Miranda
MANILA, Philippines–Vice President Jejomar Binay on Sunday said his family would not defy the law should the Senate blue ribbon committee issue an arrest warrant for his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, for refusing to appear at the hearings of its subcommittee.
Asked what his family would do if his son were arrested, Binay said they did not plan to defy those enforcing the law. “But they are abusing the law.”
The Vice President, however, was mum on whether his son would ignore the ultimatum for him and and other city officials to appear at the Senate inquiry or face arrest and detention.
Sen. Teofisto Guingona III is set to convene Monday the Senate blue ribbon committee to decide whether the younger Binay and six Makati officials should be cited in contempt for their continued refusal to appear at the hearings of its subcommittee.
The Makati mayor, who appeared only once at the hearings that were originally looking into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II, ignored five subcommittee invitations afterward.
The subcommittee’s probe has been expanded to include other allegations of corruption in Makati when the Vice President was its mayor.
The younger Binay has questioned the subcommittee’s jurisdiction over the inquiry as well as the way some senators treated him at the earlier hearing.
Like their mayor, the Makati officials are demanding that the Senate subcommittee furnish them a copy of the questions it would ask before they would appear.
Vice President Binay made it clear that it was his son’s principles that were at stake.
The Vice President earlier told the Senate subcommittee that he himself had no plans to appear at the hearings.
Interviewed yesterday after he spoke before an assembly of Vishay Philippines Inc. at FTI in Taguig City, Binay told the media to just wait and see whether his son would appear at the next hearing that has yet to be scheduled by the blue ribbon subcommittee.
“Let’s just see what the outcome will be,” he said.
Asked what advice he gave his son amid the possibility the blue ribbon committee would cite the mayor for contempt, Binay said, “You know, what is being fought for here are principles. My son is very firm.”
Reminded that his son could be arrested, the Vice President conceded that this would be the outcome of a contempt citation.
“My son is firm (matatag). His principles are at stake here,” he said.