De Lima won’t rush Binay probe

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.  INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Thursday said there is no need to give them a deadline in their investigation on the corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“With or without deadline, we will do our job,” De Lima told reporters adding that for them, “thoroughness, accuracy, objectivity should not be sacrificed in favor of speed.”

She issued the statement following pronouncements of Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee chairman Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel that instead of the President asking them to wrap up the Senate inquiry on the allegations against Binay, it would be better if he could ask the DOJ, an agency under the executive branch, to speed up its probe.

Earlier, De Lima said any evidence the NBI would gather during the probe would be submitted to the Ombudsman without recommendation unlike in previous cases, such as in the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund scam where it recommended the filing of plunder and graft charges against several senators, congressmen and other government officials, as well as the scam’s alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.

While De Lima refused to give details on the probe, she, however said they have many information and inputs from the witnesses, including erstwhile Binay ally and former Makati city vice mayor Ernesto Mercado.

Aside from the allegedly overpriced construction of the 11-storey Makati City Hall Building II or parking building, Binay is also accused of rigging the bidding of contracts for infrastructure projects in the city as well as earning a 13-percent share in kickbacks for every project implemented during his term as city mayor.

He was also accused of being the owner of several mansions in Tagaytay City as well as a P1.2 billion, 350-hectare farm in Rosario, Batangas.

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