Binay files P200-M suit vs Ombudsman, senators, Inquirer

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay filed a P200-million damage suit against his alleged detractors which include Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano and the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday.

The complaint was filed by Binay lawyer Claro Certeza before the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Other respondents in the complaint include former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, Mario Hechanova, Renato Bondal, Nicolas Enciso VI, Caloocan representative Edgar Erice, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc, Securities and Exchange Commission chief Teresita Herbosa and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) executive director Julia Abad.

Trillanes and Cayetano, both critics of the vice president, led the Senate subcommittee probe on the alleged anomalous transactions which transpired during the term of Binay as Makati mayor. The Senate has conducted 21 hearings on issues against Binay since it started August last year.

Meanwhile, Tetangco, Dooc, Herbosa and Abad are members of the AMLC which asked the Court to freeze Binay’s bank accounts totaling P600 million.

The Court of Appeals approved the AMLC petition on May 11. It also froze the accounts of Binay’s son, suspended Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, wife Elenita and his alleged dummies. According to the AMLC, there are 242 accounts under Binay and his dummies.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer has published the contents of the AMLC report which revealed, among others, that the deposits of Binay and his dummies reached P11 billion and that during the Senate hearings, P3.3 billion has been withdrawn from the various bank accounts of the vice president.

Erice, on the other hand, is a Liberal Party member and is a known Binay critic. AJH/ With a report from Maricar Brizuela, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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