Binay shrugs off inking of draft report by 3 more senators

THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay shrugged off on Monday the senators’ signing of a draft report that recommended the filing of plunder charges against him over the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall 2 carpark building.

“The signing by the senators of the committee report does not necessarily equate to the culpability of the Vice President,” Binay’s spokesman for political concerns, Rico Quicho, said in a statement.

Quicho was apparently reacting to latest reports that three more senators — Francis Escudero, Bam Aquino, and Serge Osmeña, are planning to sign the draft report of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee that investigated the controversy.

READ: Aquino, Escudero, Osmeña to sign report vs VP Binay

 So far, four senators – Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the blue ribbon subcommittee; Grace Poe, and Antonio Trillanes IV – have signed the draft report.

Quicho lamented that the supposed findings and recommendation of the “hostile and highly partisan investigation” conducted by the subcommittee were conveniently based on “hasty conclusions, inadmissible evidence and malicious narrative of defeated local politicians.”

“These would certainly not be given credence and in fact would be dismissed by a competent, impartial and fair tribunal,” he said.

“The Vice President understands that the political lines have been drawn in the Senate, considering the dismal and lethargic performance of some politicians with ambitions to higher office. It is no longer surprising that issues hurled against the Vice President have been used and abused for personal agenda,” the spokesman added.

Quicho reiterated that Binay remains steadfast that in the end the truth should prevail and he would be able to bring to the entire country the pro-poor programs he implemented in Makati that have benefited those in need. AC