Bayan Muna denies keeping silent on Binay corruption raps

Bayan Muna on Wednesday denied allegations that the militant Makabayan bloc had been uncharacteristically silent on the unfolding corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“We have always been consistent in saying that we want all serious allegations and cases of corruption investigated and brought to court, including that of the Binays’ so that the truth will come out and justice is served,” Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said in a text message.

Colmenares explained that Bayan Muna could not subscribe to what it felt was a patent bias against its political rivals while turning a blind eye on indiscretions of its administration allies.

“It is unjust if only the Aquino administration’s political rivals are being charged while overlooking administration allies,” Colmenares said.

Aside from the Binays, Colmenares said the Aquino administration should file the third batch of cases on the alleged P10-billion diversion of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to ghost projects and dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs).

“The government should also prosecute with the same intensity the solons who funneled the DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) and the PDAF to fake NGOs. If not, this will just be a vicious and dirty cycle of every president going after political opponents but tolerating corruption of political allies,” Colmenares said.

The United Nationalist Alliance interim president, Rep. Tobias Tiangco, questioned how the Liberal Party was able to secure a copy of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report on Binay more than a month before the Court of Appeals (CA) issued the freeze order.

In a statement, Tiangco said that the scope of the demolition job against Binay had become more “alarming” as it had targeted not only Binay and his family members, but even his friends and persons who were associated to him only by name.

Tiangco noted AMLC’s appeal to the CA was supposed to be “ex parte” where the owners of the targeted bank accounts were not aware themselves of the actions being taken against their assets. “When somebody asks to open an account, it should remain confidential and it should remain within AMLC,” said Tiangco.

“If the Vice President did not bare his ambition to run for president, will they do this to him?” Tiangco asked.