Bishop urges Binays to answer corruption charges

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Face and answer the allegations of corruption.

This was the call of Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo to the family of Vice President Jejomar Binay, saying it was not enough for them to claim they were victims of politicking.

“Binay and his family should answer the accusations hurled against them. They should not brush off corruption claims. It’s not enough to blame politicking,” Pabillo, head of the Public Affairs Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said in an interview over the Church-run Radio Veritas.

Pabillo added that counter accusations were not important. “It’s important to explain why the allegations are not true so they could also clear their name.”

Binay and his family have been accused of corruption in the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building Two, which reportedly cost P2.7 billion.

Binay blamed politicking, especially instigated by potential rivals for the presidency in 2016, for the ongoing Senate investigation into the alleged overpricing in the construction of the building, which a critic claimed was the country’s most expensive parking building.

Renato Bondal and Nicolas Enciso—political rivals of the Binays in Makati—said the building should have cost only P700 million.

Their plunder complaint against the Binays formed the basis of the Senate inquiry.

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