Submit yourselves to audit, Binay camp dares Pimentel, others

By: Yuji Vincent Gonzales - 9 years ago

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

After Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III called for an audit of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) previously headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay, the Binay camp on Tuesday said senators leading the Senate hearings on corruption allegations against the resigned housing czar should also submit themselves to an audit.

Vice presidential spokesperson for political affairs Rico Quicho said the infrastructure projects of Pimentel and other senators should also be audited in the same way they want the housing agencies under HUDCC to be investigated.

Quicho said the Binay camp could have understood Pimentel’s call if the senator also demanded for an audit of the agencies previously managed by other resigned officials.

“Sa dami-dami nang nagbibitiw na opisyal, si VP Binay lamang ang tanging sinabihan at sinulatan ng audit. Noong nag-resign ang pinuno ng customs na si John Sevilla dahil umano sa mga nagpa-fund raising na miyembro ng Liberal Party, tahimik siya at hindi kumikibo (Of all the officials who resigned from their post, it’s only VP Binay who was summoned for audit. When customs chief John Sevilla resigned because they were allegedly having a fund-raising for members of the Liberal Party, he was silent and didn’t make any move),” Quicho said in a statement.

Binay relinquished his duties as chief of HUDCC and presidential adviser on OFW affairs when he tendered his resignation from the Aquino cabinet in June.

“Akala ba namin ‘public office is a public trust?’ Mukha yata mga kalaban lamang ang target nila (We thought public office is public trust? It looks like only the [political] opponents who are being targeted,” Quicho added.

As to Binay’s consistent nonappearance in the hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee, Quicho said Pimentel has already “prejudged” the Vice President as guilty.

“Alam mo din na marami nang dokumento na isinumite sa iyong komite na magpapawalang saysay sa mga kasinungalingan ng iyong mga resource persons pero ang mga ito ay iyong binalewala kaparehas ng affidavit na ipinadala ni Vice President Binay sa Senado (You know there have been so many documents submitted in your committee that disproved the lies of your resource persons but you disregarded them just like the affidavit that Vice President Binay sent to the Senate),” he said.

Quicho also accused Pimentel of favoring allies and advancing his own political interest.

“Sa huli ay nais kong ipaalam sa iyo na tama ka at matagal kayo nagkasama ni Vice President. Kaya gulat na gulat na malaki ang nagbago sa iyong istilo. Napakadali ka nang magpagamit para sa sarili mong interes (In the end I need to inform you that you are right and you’ve been with the Vice President for a long time. That’s why I was surprised that your style has changed. It’s easy to be used for your own self-interest),” he said.

In his response to Binay’s strongly worded letter accusing him and his “Senate cohorts” of plotting a “demolition by perception,” Pimentel said he would not carry out a demolition job against the Vice President as they were party mates for almost three decades.

“The revelation of the truth is not demolition,” Pimentel said.

READ: Binay to Pimentel: ‘Magpakalalaki ka’

Binay left Pimentel’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan in 2014.

“Napakadali mo nang humusga at hindi na nakikinig sa paliwanag ng ibang tao. Sana ay magpakatotoo dahil bistado na ang ginagawa mo at ng iyong mga kasamahan (It’s easy for you to judge and you don’t listen to explanation of other people. I hope you adhere to the truth because you’ve been uncovered and all of your cohorts),” Quicho added. TVJ