Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
(Updated) Suspended Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay posted bail on Friday before the Sandiganbayan for charges of graft and falsification of public documents.
READ: Ombudsman orders dismissal of Junjun Binay
Binay was accompanied by his lawyer Claro Certeza at the Sandiganbayan.
“I’m looking forward to a fair and impartial court to prove my innocence,” Binay told reporters.
“Ito ‘yung pagkakataon na mapaliwanag namin na wala talaga kaming pagkakasala dito—na lahat na nangyari ay dahil sa panggigipit na ginagawa sa aming pamilya, sa aking ama, na alam naman natin na si Vice President Binay ay tumatakbo bilang pangulo,” he added.
(This is our chance to prove that we are innocent—that all of these are a product of their oppression to our family, particularly my father, Vice President Binay, just because he is running for president.)
The Ombudsman’s Special Prosecutor recommended bail of P30,000 for every graft charge and P24,000 for every falsification rap, for a total of P204,000.
The younger Binay is facing two counts of graft and six counts of falsification charges over the alleged irregularities in the construction of the P2.3-billion Makati City Hall Building II.
READ: Junjun Binay charged with graft, document falsification over carpark building
The Sandiganbayan Third Division chaired by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang will handle Binay’s case after it was raffled on Friday.
The division also handled the cases against Senator Juan Ponce Enrile in relation with his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
Certezo said they filed motion for judicial determination of probable cause before the anti-graft court, citing the evidence against Binay was weak.
“Dahil naniniwala kami na mahina ‘yung ebidensya na finile ng Ombudsman at sa katunayan nga walang basis even to consider the issuance of a warrant of arrest,” Certezo said.
(We believe that the evidence presented by the Ombudsman are weak and even lack basis to consider the issuance of a warrant of arrest.)
READ: Binay camp: Ombudsman ‘fits into orchestrated effort of LP, Roxas’
Binay also insisted that the cases filed against him were just meant to derail the presidential run of his father.
“Wala naman talagang basehan itong kasong ito kundi panggigipit lang itong ginagawa nila. Bigla-bigla na lang sumulpot ang kasong ito nu’ng naghayag lang ang aking ama yung intensyon na tumakbo na bilang pangulo ng ating bansa,” he said.
(These cases have no basis; they are just pressuring us. These cases sprang out of nowhere when my father expressed his intention to run for president of our country.)
The Ombudsman had filed eight charges against Binay and 20 former officials of the Makati government and two private individuals. IDL