Prosecutors in Binay case can charge city accountant

Former Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay. MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

The Sandiganbayan has allowed state prosecutors to implicate the city accountant in one of the graft cases filed against dismissed Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. over the controversial City Hall car park building.

In a resolution dated Jan. 18, the court’s Third Division admitted the amended charge sheet filed by the Office of the Ombudsman to include Raydes Pestaño as an accused.

The court cited the Ombudsman’s discretion to issue the June 20, 2016, order charging Pestaño for graft.

This was after her name was omitted “for one reason or another” from the dispositive portion of the Sept. 7, 2015, resolution that found probable cause to charge Binay and 13 others, even as that resolution detailed her participation in the alleged scheme.

The charge against Binay and several other Makati government officials involves an alleged conspiracy to rig the 2012-13 bidding for the P141.65-million contract for Phase V of the construction of the Makati City Hall carpark building.

The contract was awarded to Hilmarc’s Construction Corp.

Binay was accused of falsifying the bid invitation, making it appear that Hilmarc’s submitted the lowest offer despite the supposed lack of actual bidding, entering into the contract despite the alleged absence of approved plans, and approving payments to the contractors.

As acting city accountant, Pestaño allegedly processed and released the payments to Hilmarc’s on different occasions despite the “baseless” accomplishment report and supposed deficiencies in the supporting documents.