Binay camp: Funds misuse tag not tirade; Duterte must explain

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said the Commission on Audit (COA) report that they cited against presidential aspirant Mayor Rodrigo Duterte over the alleged misuse of education funds in Davao City was not a form of tirade against the tough-talking local executive.

Binay’s spokersperson lawyer Rico Quicho said Duterte should explain his side and clear his name on the issue so the public would be enlightened.

“Hindi naman ito pagtira. Ito’y pagsasaad lamang sa nakita ng COA. So, masasagot naman ito kung mabibigyan ng pagkakataon,” Quicho told reporters in an ambush interview in Cebu.

“Kaya nga ho gusto naming malaman kung ano ba ang totoong nangyari dito. Mabuti na rin na masagot at maipaliwanag ang issue na ito,” he said.

Citing an annual audit report of COA, the United Nationalist Alliance on Friday said Duterte may be liable for the misuse of the P46-million Special Education Fund in Davao City in 2014.

READ: UNA questions Duterte’s crusade vs crime, tags mayor in funds misuse

Quoting the COA, the opposition party said the agency found out that “various expenses charged to the Special Education Fund totaling ₱45,819,774.85 were inconsistent with the provisions of [Republic Act] No. 5447 or the SEF Act.”

But Duterte’s spokesperson Peter Laviña said UNA was “desperate” in its supposed attempt to “paint everyone black out of its desperation to escape the burning allegations of massive corruption hurled against the UNA [standard-bearer],” adding the COA report was “rehashed” and already answered last year.

Asked about the implication of the accusations against Duterte, Quicho said the COA had yet to issue a resolution, but added the agency should be as aggressive in pursuing the case as it was on the corruption allegations against Binay.

READ: After bet tagged in funds misuse, Duterte camp calls UNA ‘desperate’

“Siguro kung gaano sila ka-agresibo sa ating Bise Presidente, siguro dapat ganoon din po sila sa ibang mga kandidato o sa iba pang mga government officials,” he said.

The COA recently released its special audit report that recommended sanctions against Binay over the allegedly anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall parking building.

The 148-page special audit report against Binay said he was administratively liable for gross misconduct, dishonesty and gross inexcusable negligence, graft and corrupt practices in connection with crimes that he allegedly committed while he was still Makati mayor, as head of procuring entity from 2007 to 2010.

Duterte’s camp earlier urged Binay to face the Filipino people once and for all and explain his side on the corruption allegations against him, adding that the Vice President was seemingly “lying” and “insulting the intelligence” of his countrymen.

But Quicho said the opposition leader would remain focused on extending his platform especially for the poor less than two months before the May national elections.

“Kasama ho ito sa hinaharap natin. Malinaw naman po kung ano talaga ‘yong gusto natin na maabot. Ito pong laban ni VP Binay ay laban po sa kahirapan. Kaya kahit ano po ‘yong pinagdadaanan natin ito po ay haharapin natin. Sapagkat mas malaki po, mas mahirap po ‘yong kinakailangan niyang harapin upang maresolba po ‘yong problema ng ating mga kababayan sa kahirapan,” he said. RC