Binay urged to face accusers in Senate

MANILA, Philippines - Face your accusers in the Senate, not your loyal troops.

Liberal Party member and Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice made this appeal yesterday to Vice President Jejomar Binay, who he said would speak today on corruption issues to which he has been linked.

He said Binay would attend the Makati City flag-raising ceremony this morning to address city government officials and employees led by his son, Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr.

“Everyone is expecting an explanation from VP Binay, not only those from his city. He is gunning for the presidency. It is as if he is pushed to the wall and, sensing there is no way out, retreats to his stronghold to rally his troops. But this is very unpresidential,” Erice said.

Erice said if the Vice President has nothing to hide, “what he should do is fearlessly go to the Senate, look at his accusers, supporters and every Filipino in the eye and refute the allegations made against him.”

“Do not act as if you are Vice President only for Makati. You are VP for the entire country,” he added.

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III also urged Binay to answer the corruption charges being leveled against him over the overpriced Makati building.

“Well, it’s looking pretty serious. Vice President Binay should address the charges against him,” Osmeña said over radio station dzBB.

Osmena said the resource persons and witnesses who attended the Senate hearings have personal knowledge of how kickbacks were delivered in exchange for infrastructure projects.

The Senate is resuming this week its investigation into the alleged overpriced Makati parking building, constructed during Binay’s time as mayor.

His vice mayor then, Ernesto Mercado, has claimed that then Mayor Binay received 13-percent kickbacks from all infrastructure projects, and that he delivered the money in bags to the mayor and members of his family.

The Vice President has dismissed the accusations, claiming they are part of a smear campaign to bring down his survey ratings.

Binay’s daughter Abigail, who is a Makati representative, has said in a recent television interview her father won’t attend the Senate investigation even if he is subpoenaed.

If there was a subpoena, Rep. Binay said they would question it before the Supreme Court.

The Senate has the power to compel a witness to attend its inquiry through the issuance of a subpoena. The witness risks arrest if he or she ignores the subpoena.

It is not clear if the Senate would go to the extent of doing this in the case of the vice president.

Osmeña said it would be up to the Vice President whether he would attend the next Senate hearing on Sept. 25.

“So this is a gray area,” Osmeña said, referring to presidents and vice-presidents being invited to the Senate to face inquiries. 

“It’s up to the Vice President. We will not arrest the VP if he does not turn up,” he said.

Erice, for his part, stressed Binay should respond to the accusations of Mercado and Mario Hechanova, former vice chairman of the Makati bids and awards committee, and not merely dismiss them as a smear job or as politicking.

“The detailed accusations are credible,” Erice said.

Text messages circulated over the weekend that Binay would be holding a press conference today to announce that he would be cutting his ties with President Aquino.

Malacañang did not invite the Vice President to Aquino’s “agenda-setting” meeting with administration allies last week. – With Christina Mendez