Erice: It’s an honor to fight Binay in P200-M damage suit

CALOOCAN Representative Edgar Erice said he is ready to fight the damage suit filed against him and several others by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

In a text message on Monday, Erice said he even considers it a “privilege” to face Binay in court.

“It’s a privilege to serve our country by fighting a man whose greed for power endangers our morals and the democratic processes. I am ready and I am inspired to do more,” Erice said.

Binay on Monday filed a P200-million damage suit against Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, members of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Erice, and several others for allegedly conspiring to malign his reputation and stop him from running for president in next year’s election.

Erice of the Liberal Party is the most vocal critic of Binay in the House of Representatives.

Binay said the senators conducted a Senate probe to cover the “baseless allegations” of the overpricing and rigging of infrastructure projects in Makati when Binay was mayor.

Meanwhile, Binay said the Ombudsman acted as “inquisitors” for their graft investigation on the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and Makati City Science High School building.

“Due to (i) the political ambitions of the defendants in the upcoming May 2016 elections; (ii) the disdain and personal animosity of the defendants toward the Plaintiff; and/or (ii) the insatiable greed of the defendants for power and money, the defendants, acting in conspiracy and in collusion with one another, decided to blatantly and publicly malign the good name and reputation of the Plaintiff,” Binay’s complaint which was filed before the Makati City Regional Trial Court said.

Also named in the damage suit were former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, Caloocan City Rep. Eric Erice, Atty. Renato Bondal, Engr. Mario Hechanova, AMLC officials and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The Inquirer was named respondent in Binay’s complaint for allegedly publishing defamatory news and frequent screaming headlines against the vice president, and printing the contents of the AMLC report which revealed, among others, that the deposits of Binay and his purported dummies reaching P11 billion.

“Maybe his need for money is really insatiable that’s why he’s asking for P200 million,” Erice said.