Ombudsman clarifies Binay story: No ruling yet

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Not just yet.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Monday clarified that the Office of the Ombudsman had yet to determine probable cause to indict Vice President Jejomar Binay, his son Makati City Mayor Jejomar “Junjun” Binay Jr. and several others over alleged irregularities in the construction of the P2.2-billion Makati parking building.

“There was no such thing as the Ombudsman finding probable cause (in the case against Binay et al.),” Morales told reporters after the launching of the Integrity Management Program, her office’s newest anticorruption strategy.

“It’s not true that the Office of the Ombudsman [has] found probable cause. It’s not true,” she said. “But I understand there was this reply filed by the special panel of investigators. Actually, I have not seen it.”

Morales admitted that she herself was surprised by media reports that her office had found probable cause to pursue the criminal cases against Binay, who has been at the center of several allegations of corruption recently.

Like other cases, she said, the Ombudsman special panel of investigators would just recommend to her if there were enough grounds to proceed with the indictment of the Binays and their fellow respondents.

“It’s going to be the Ombudsman who will approve or disapprove their recommendation…. Now, whether or not the special panel of investigators found one, we do not know…. So I don’t know why they made it gospel truth,” Morales said.

Asked about the status of the case against Binay et al., the retired Supreme Court associate justice said: “It’s pending. It hasn’t even reached me.”

On Saturday, the Inquirer published an article on the findings of the Ombudsman special panel of investigators that looked into the allegations against the Binays and 22 others.

In its consolidated reply to the counteraffidavits of the respondents dated May 4, the panel said there was “probable cause to indict the Vice President, his son and other respondents for the crimes and offenses charged.”

The panel said the construction of the Makati parking building was a “clear diversion of people’s money put in the hands of private contractors.”

“The individual participation of [the] respondents is clear. Each of them contributed in the process leading to the release of more than P2.2 billion worth of public funds despite the irregularities,” the panel said.