Binay camp belies Inquirer report on VP’s ‘billions’

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay discredited the report published by the Inquirer on Tuesday citing a report from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) which said that Binay has allegedly pocketed “billions” of pesos from infrastructure projects while he was still mayor of Makati City.

In an interview at Candon City, Ilocos Sur, Binay spokesperson Atty. Rico Quicho dismissed the Inquirer report as “recycled,” adding that the facts provided in the article are already in the forfeiture case against Binay and his dummies, which is being heard by the court.

READ: AMLC: Binay got billions

“This report is still the same report to the case; that was just recycled,” Quicho said.

Quicho said that the Binay camp does not know the contents of the new AMLC report, reiterating that AMLC reports are deemed confidential.

“We do not really know what report we are talking about. Sa amin, meron na ngang categorical statement na 1 account lang, bakit mo pa ilalabas ang 159? What is your basis, AMLC?” the lawyer said.

He also echoed the earlier statement given by Binay’s communication director Joey Salgado who said that AMLC has already gone on record in court that the vice president has only one account and there was only P1.7 million in that account, not billions.

“Sabi ng Inquirer, may source sila na may 100 plus accounts (si vice president). ‘Yung source nila dun sa korte nagsabi na isa lang, so sinong papaniwalaan mo, yung AMLC o Inquirer?”

“That was stated during trial, admission sa judge ‘yan. Hindi pala 100, 1 lang. Hindi pala billion, 1.7 million lang. Itong mga dummies diumano, hindi pala… wala kaming evidence to connect the vice president. So sino ang pakikinggan natin, yung sinasabi (ng AMLC) sa korte o yung sinasabi ng Inquirer?” he said.

The 62-page AMLC report identified Binay’s alleged dummies as Gerardo Limlingan Jr., Eduviges Baloloy, Mitzi O. Asedillo, Bernadette C. Portollano, Lily Hernandez Crystal, Antonio Lee Tiu, Daniel C. Subido, and Mario Oreta, as well as private companies such as Agrifortuna Inc., Sunchamp and Meiriras, among others.
The report stated that when Binay ran for vice president, his personal account had cash and check deposits amounting to P223,771,273.70.