FOUR senators have signed the partial draft report of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee on the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall 2 parking building, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Thursday.
Pimentel, chairman of the subcommittee, said he was one of the four who signed the draft report. He refused to identify the three others.
Aside from Pimentel, the two others who actively participated in the hearings of the subcommittee were Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. It was Trillanes who initiated the Senate probe on the parking building controversy.
“Sa ngayon, ang good news na natanggap ko apat na ang nakapirma kasi isa na ako run,” said the subcommittee chair.
He said the draft should be signed by at least nine senators or majority of the 17-member of the Senate blue ribbon committee being headed by Senator Teofisto Guingona III before it becomes official and ready for submission at the plenary.
“I made a partial report. (Even if it doesn’t get the support of the majority), I don’t care…it’s my duty to come up with a report,” Pimentel said.
“I just submitted my partial subcommittee report because it’s ripe to submit one but I’m not at liberty to discuss the contents. Let the chairman of the blue ribbon, Senator Guingona discuss the contents if he wants to,” he added.
Pimentel was also mum on the contents of the draft report, saying he would leave it to Guingona to decide whether or not to discuss it in public.
The media though reported that the draft report recommended the filing of plunder case against Vice President Jejomar Binay and son, Makati Mayor Jun-Jun Binay along with other personalities who allegedly conspired to jack up the cost of the building.
Sought to comment on Binay’s camp claim that the reported plunder recommendation against the Binays was already too late since the same complaint was already filed at the Office of the Ombudsman, Pimentel said: “Wala naman akong hinahabol na byahe. When it’s ripe for reporting, I will report…” AC