Belmonte shuns impeachment, tells Binay to attend Senate probe

House Speaker Sonny Belmonte Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LEO M. SABANGAN II

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. urged Vice President Jejomar Binay to appear in the Senate to defend himself from the corruption allegations against him.

In an interview on Monday, Belmonte, who is the Liberal Party’s vice chairman, maintained that he does not want Binay of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to be impeached.

“I’m really for advising them to go ahead and appear there. He should and they will respect him because he is the vice president of the Philippines,” Belmonte said of Binay who is eyeing the presidency in 2016.

The House leader made the reaction as a Social Weather Stations survey said eight of 10 Filipinos want Binay to appear in the Senate hearing on corruption allegations against the Vice President.

Belmonte said showing up at the Senate is “the best way to respond to the fact that a big number of people are not happy that he’s not appearing.”

“Basta, I am against impeaching the Vice President,” Belmonte said.

Binay faces a Senate probe for allegedly receiving kickbacks in the overpriced Makati parking building and other infrastructures when he was mayor in 2007. He is also accused of failing to declare various estates in his Statement of Assets and Liabilities Networth.

Binay and his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay also face a plunder complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged overpriced building.

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