Binay camp urges DOJ: Probe on Mercado’s casino spree

Former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CLARK, Pampanga—The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay has urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the gambling activities of former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado while under witness protection.

In an interview with reporters on Monday, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) spokesperson Mon Ilagan said Binay’s camp would write a letter to the justice department about Mercado’s casino spree while under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

READ: Binay foe, under gov’t protection, seen in casino

“As a matter of reaction, we’re calling on the Department of Justice because he is under the custody of the WPP,” Ilagan said.

The vice president’s camp criticized Mercado after Sen. Nancy Binay caught him coming out of the Royce Hotel and Casino on Saturday while flanked by his WPP body guards.

READ: Nancy Binay: Is Mercado using LP money for casino spree?

Sen. Binay also accused Mercado of gambling the money paid to him by the Liberal Party (LP) to smear the reputation of her father.

Ilagan said the DOJ must investigate Mercado’s activities while under government protection—not only his gambling activities, but also his attendance in the campaign sortie of LP bet Mar Roxas at the Makati Coliseum on Monday.

A yellow-clad Mercado attended Roxas’ sortie in Makati to support the vice mayoralty bid of his daughter Karla Mercado, who is running under the LP with Makati Mayor Kid Peña.

Peña, who was earlier vice mayor, replaced Vice President Binay’s son Junjun when the latter was dismissed by the Ombudsman over allegations of rigging the purportedly overpriced Makati car park building.

Ilagan said Mercado should be removed from the WPP for wasting government resources.

“Mayroon bang permiso ung paglabas labas nya at pagpunta nya dun sa mga ibang mga lugar. Nung isang araw nakita daw siya mismo pa si Sen. Nancy… malapit dito sa casino. Ngayon naman nasa Makati Coliseum. And that’s government money, it’s a waste of money,” Ilagan said.

(Does he (Mercado) have the permission to come out and go to other places? Sen. Nancy reportedly saw him personally near the casino here the other day. And now he’s at Makati Coliseum. And that’s government money, it’s a waste of money.)

“If that is the case he must be under study, kung talagang may violation sa Witness Protection Program diba. Anytime pwede siya tanggalin dun (if there was really a violation under Witness Protection Program. He can be removed from the program anytime,” he added.

Ilagan questioned if Mercado asked permission to attend Roxas’ sortie while under government protection.

“May permiso ba yung paglabas-labas niya o papunta dun sa Makati Coliseum? Because you’re under the guidance of DOJ, the National Bureau of Investigation, sa Witness Protection Program. So may guidance ba ‘yun? May paalam ba ‘yun?” Ilagan said.

(Does he (Mercado) have the permission to come out or go to Makati Coliseum? Because you’re under the guidance of DOJ, the National Bureau of Investigation, sa Witness Protection Program. So does he have a guidance on that matter? Did he ask for permission?)

“That’s government resources… If there’s a violation, he should be taken out from the program,” he added.

The Inquirer reported that Mercado lost up to P300,000 in one casino alone.

A Binay ally former Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo also saw Mercado coming out of the Widus Hotel and Casino after gambling in Royce.

Mercado, then Makati vice mayor, turned his back against the Binays after a falling-out with the vice president when the latter chose his son Junjun to run in his stead in 2010.

Sen. Binay questioned how Mercado was able to gamble when the latter even broke down in tears over his financial woes since he turned state witness against the Binays over allegations of kickbacks from various infrastructure projects since the vice president was Makati mayor.

Mercado also testified in a Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee panel which recommended the filing of plunder charges against the Binays.

“Remember last hearing, mang-iyak-ngiyak pa siya nagsabi dun sa Senate na yung mga nasa WPP, kawawa naman tulad daw nya na walang pinagkakakitaan na dahil wala ng hanap buhay dahil under nga dun sa WPP. Tapos maririnig mo na not once but twice pala sya nagcasino on that day,” Sen. Binay said.

(Remember last hearing, he (Mercado) was almost crying in the Senate as he said those under the WPP like are not earning a living. And then you will hear that he went to the casino not once but twice on that day.)

The senator said Mercado’s gambling spree while under government protection may have been funded by the administration party, especially because his daughter is running under LP.

“Saan siya kumukuha ng pangsugal nya nung nahuli syang nagsasabong? Saan niya kinuha ang pangsabong nagcacasino siya?Hindi maliit yung sinusugal nya na pera,” Sen. Binay said.

(Where did he get the funds to gamble in a cockfight? The amount he spent in gambling is not small.)

“Yun ang dapat tanungin tapos yung anak niya, tumatakbo din ngayon sa Makati mayor under Liberal Party. So ang pondo ba na pangcasino galing sa LP, since yung anak nya ay tumatakbo under LP?” she added.

(That should be questioned. And his daughter is also running for Makati mayor under Liberal Party. So did the gambling funds come from the LP since his daughter is running under the party?)

Mercado was caught casino-hopping on the eve of the campaign sortie in Pampanga of Binay’s UNA. RAM