‘Senate willing to facilitate Binay, Mercado debate’

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee is willing to facilitate a face-off between Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado if only to give the public an idea of who between the two is telling the truth regarding the city hall parking building controversy.

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said the members of the subcommittee may just sit through the debate as observers and moderators.

“So it’s vice versus vice and we will find out who is telling the truth and who (between) them is the one with several vices,” he said.

Cayetano came up with the suggestion in reaction to Mercado’s challenge to Binay the other day that the Vice President face the former vice mayor in a debate on allegations of irregularities in Makati City.

Mercado, who is visiting his ailing wife in the US, said while his vacation is supposed to be until Nov. 30, he is willing to return earlier if the Vice President will accept his challenge.

“I am prepared to answer all of the accusations or issues that have been raised against me by VP Binay and his allies and I hope that he is also ready to face me before the nation and answer the issues raised against him,” Mercado said.

“The senators can just serve as observers since what we are after is fact-finding anyway. They can confront each other as long as they observe the proper decorum and address the chairman, we will still find out the truth,” Cayetano said.

Mercado is a key witness against Binay in the Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation into allegations of overpricing in the construction of the Makati City hall parking building.

Other issues of corruption against Binay cropped up in the course of the Senate investigation. Mercado also revealed during the hearings that the Binays had numerous undeclared assets including a sprawling farming estate in Batangas.