‘I’m not scared of Binay’

OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio Morales Wednesday said Vice President Jejomar Binay had threatened to go after her if he wins the presidential election.

“I am not scared,” Morales told reporters.

She said the threat was “personally conveyed by a valued ally of the Vice President.”

“I received threats. The threat was passed through a high official by a close and valued ally-politician of the Vice President,” Morales said.

“They said they were going to run after me if the Vice President wins as President. Go ahead, I welcome that,” she said.

Morales said the threat reached her by way of a government official whom she would not identify.

“The threat was personally conveyed by a valued ally of the Vice President. It was given to a government official, all right, verbal. It came to me. It was received by me that this particular official was told they would run after me. If he wins,” she said.

Despite the threats, Morales said she would continue to do what was right.

“They are scaring me. I’m not scared. I’m not deterred from doing my work,” she said.

The Binay camp Wednesday denied Morales’ claim that he has issued a threat to remove her from office if he becomes President.

“President Binay will be too busy helping the poor to even think of this,” said Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, president of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance party.

Tiangco asked the Ombudsman to identify Binay’s ally who made the supposed threat “so that we can legally deal with this person.”

The Vice President’s camp has said Morales was part of the demolition team that is allegedly working to derail Binay’s presidential bid.

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed charges against the Vice President’s son, dismissed Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, over the allegedly corrupt-ridden construction of the Makati City Hall Building II.

The Ombudsman has also recommended that charges be brought against the Vice President, but after his term ends in June as Binay is now immune from  suit.

Binay has filed a damage suit against Morales.

Tiangco earlier accused the Ombudsman of hiring a public relations consultant to leak to the media the Commission on Audit special audit report that found irregularities in the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II.

“That’s not true,” Morales said. With a report from Christine Avendaño­