Palace: Show up or be arrested

Malacañang on Wednesday declined to comment specifically on the Senate probe on Vice President Jejomar Binay and others linked to the alleged overpriced Makati Parking Building but said an arrest order should be expected because of the circumstance.

Binay’s camp earlier hit Liberal Party after the Senate ordered the arrest of 14 aides and business associates of the Vice President.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. FILE PHOTO

“There are rules within the Senate that they have to follow. The arrest order is a logical consequence of the failure to explain and failure to appear before the Senate body,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.

READ: Binay hits LP for arrest order

But Lacierda, a lawyer, said filing a case in court requires a response.

“Also in the courts or in the fiscal, if you fail to answer, there will be a resolution against those who fail to answer. Now, in the Senate hearing, they were given lots and lots of opportunities to explain,” he said. “Not all of them, at least some of them did come and those who were issued arrest warrants, I believe, were those who did not show up.”

“For instance, you did not see Mr. Bobby Ongpin being issued a warrant of arrest because he showed up. You didn’t see Mr. (Mario) Oreta being issued a warrant of arrest because he showed up,” Lacierda added.

Ongpin, owner of Alphaland, testified in the Senate and denied he gave “kickbacks” to Binay.

READ: Roberto Ongpin denies giving Binay kickbacks from Alphaland-BSP land deal

Lacierda said the arrest order had nothing to do with politics.

“If it’s all politics then by force of logic, everybody should have been issued a warrant of arrest, but it’s not,” he said.

The Senate blue ribbon committee has been conducting hearings on Makati Parking Building and other anomalous projects during Binay’s term as Makati mayor. RC