Binay camp: Ombudsman ‘fits into orchestrated effort of LP, Roxas’

Vice President Jejomar Binay and Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday tagged the Office of the Ombudsman as a “political tool” of the administration, following its decision to junk the petition of former Makati mayor Junjun Binay appealing his dismissal from office.

Binay spokesperson Joey Salgado said they expected the resolution to uphold the younger Binay’s dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public office, as they never expected fairness from a “biased and partial” Ombudsman.

“So what else is new? We have always expected these resolutions from a biased and partial Ombudsman,” Salgado said in a statement.

“The Ombudsman resolutions are plainly political tools against the Vice President. Last year, the Ombudsman released its resolution against the Vice President on the day he filed his certificate of candidacy. Now it released another resolution on the motion for reconsideration just a few days before the start of the campaign period and after Vice President Binay regained his lead in the presidential surveys,” he added.

READ: Ombudsman junks Junjun Binay’s appeal on dismissal from gov’t

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Friday denied the appeal of the younger Binay and 19 other Makati officials involved in the design and construction of the P2.28-billion Makati City Hall parking building II, who were dismissed in October 2015.

Morales also upheld its decision to indict the Vice President and his son for criminal charges over the allegedly overpriced parking project.

Salgado said the Ombudsman was being used as a tool by the administration to advance the interests of the ruling Liberal Party and its standard-bearer for the upcoming May polls.

“Simply put, the move of the Ombudsman fits into the orchestrated effort of Mar Roxas, the LP and its allies including Roxas’ mouthpieces masquerading as Palace spokesmen, to attack the Vice President,” Salgado said.

“We have never expected fairness and impartiality from the Ombudsman. We look forward to disproving all their allegations in an impartial court,” he added. CDG

READ: Ombudsman statement aimed at Binay–Palace