Binay to address nation on corruption raps on Monday

Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Vice President Jejomar Binay will answer the latest damaging allegations against him on Monday morning in a live address.

Binay’s spokesman, Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, said Thursday that Binay would give the live address to respond to all the allegations hurled against him and his family involving the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and other city projects.

“He (Binay) will answer all the issues and he will also give a broad perspective on what is happening now in the country and in the next two years,” Remulla said in a phone interview.

The Cavite governor said the Office of the Vice President would invite the media and television networks to cover the live address.

On new allegations against Binay at Thursday’s resumption of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee hearing, Remulla said former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado did not provide evidence in his new allegation that he delivered bags of money representing 13 percent in contract kickbacks to Binay when the latter was still Makati mayor as well as to his wife and children, now Sen. Nancy Binay and Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr.

Using dead person’s name

“As we have said before, such a statement not backed by evidence will not stand in the court of law but only in a kangaroo court where judgment has been rendered even before the hearing started,” Remulla said in a statement he issued several hours after Mercado testified in the Senate hearing on the allegedly overpriced Makati parking building.

Remulla urged Mercado and another witness, former city general services head Mario Hechanova, to stop using the “name of a dead person” in reference to the late city engineer Nelson Morales in supporting their allegations against Binay and his family.

“Like former general services head Mario Hechanova, Mercado conveniently used the name of a dead person to make malicious and baseless allegations against the Vice President and his family. They should stop using the name of a dead person, in the process hurting his family who are still grieving from his death a year ago,” Remulla said.

Nancy bristled at Mercado’s claims that she received kickbacks from him for her mother, Elenita Binay.

The senator dismissed Mercado’s testimony as part of a script to vilify the Binay family.

“It’s very unfortunate. As a child, I grew up seeing how the Vice President took pains to serve the people. And out of personal ambition, they’ll destroy the name that my father worked so hard to build,” she told reporters.

Nancy denied receiving kickbacks from Mercado purportedly meant for her mother, Elenita. The senator once served as personal assistant to her mother.

If at all, Nancy admitted receiving a gift of spoon and fork set from Mercado when he stood as a principal sponsor at her wedding, a fact that made his testimony against her more painful.

“We’ll study that,” she said when asked if she would press charges against Mercado.

The senator said Mercado’s claims that he delivered kickbacks to then mayor Binay, Junjun and to her were “all lies.” So far, witnesses have not presented solid evidence to back up their charges.

‘He said, she said’

“What’s happening is ‘he said, she said,’” Nancy said.

She said it was unfortunate that the Senate had become a forum to vilify her father and her. She ruled out appearing in the hearing to reply to the charges.

“The Senate hearing is not the proper forum to defend myself. It’s a waste of taxpayer money. We should have more time for our work,” she said.

The senator said the same thing when asked on the committee’s motion to invite her father to the hearing.

“This is not the proper forum for him to address the allegations hurled against him. This has become a teleserye that has run its course and the public has lost interest. Now, they want to call the Vice President just to perk up attention,” she said.

She said her father was still studying where he would appear to answer the charges. But she pointed out that a plunder case against her father over the allegedly overpriced parking building was pending in the Office of the Ombudsman.–Reports from Christine O. Avendaño and TJ Burgonio