‘2 more explosive issues vs VP’: Senate threatens Junjun Binay with arrest

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – Undeterred by denials of their accusations against Vice President Jejomar Binay, his political opponents said they would bare two more issues similar to his alleged P188.9-million kickback from the commercial development of a one-hectare property belonging largely to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP).

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano disclosed this to students of the Pangasinan State University on Thursday afternoon.

Cayetano ssaid the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee handling the corruption issues against the Binay family would likely conduct four more hearings up to early March to conclude its probe.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Cayetano already talked about the evidence they have against Binay’s camp.

Cayetano noted that the hearings would speed up if the Binay camp would cooperate, accusing the Vice President of hiding the witnesses to let the issues die down.

“They will try to kill the issues but what’s important is on Monday, witnesses shall be subpoenaed and arrested if they fail to show up. When that happens, we would get the documents and the hearings would speed up,” Cayetano said.

Binay Jr., six others given ultimatum

Even the Vice President’s son, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., was given an ultimatum to comply with the subpoenas issued to him to appear before the hearings of the Blue Ribbon subcommittee or face arrest.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, Blue Ribbon committee chairman, issued the final call to the younger Binay and other concerned officials of Makati City who were recommended by subcommittee chairman Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III to be cited in contempt for refusing to appear before the hearings.

“I make this final call as an effort on my part to avert a situation where the Senate Blue Ribbon committee would have to issue an arrest order for Mayor Binay and other officials concerned,” Guingona added.

Pimentel also recommended to be cited in contempt Tomas Lopez, Eleno Mendoza, Eduviges Baloloy, Marjorie de Veyra, Line dela Peña and Bernadette Portollano.

Lopez, who serves as a board member of the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) otherwise known as the Pag-IBIG Fund, was invited to the Senate hearings in his capacity as president of the University of Makati.

Baloloy is said to be one of the secretaries of the Vice President when he was still mayor of Makati City and allegedly handled several of the financial transactions of Binay.

De Veyra is the former city administrator and social welfare department head of Makati City.

Mendoza is the incumbent city administrator of Makati, while Dela Peña is the assistant city engineer of the city and Portollano the corporate secretary of OMNI Security, which is allegedly owned by the Vice President.

Judge prevents Delfin Lee to testify

However, the lawyer of jailed Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee said yesterday that “all-out efforts” are being exerted to prevent his client from attending the Senate hearings that would allow him to expose housing anomalies involving Binay.

Aside from being the national president of BSP, Binay is also chairman of Pag-IBIG Fund.

Lee’s chief legal counsel Willie Rivera questioned the impartiality of San Fernando, Pampanga regional trial court judge Ma. Amifaith Fider-Reyes, who again junked last Wednesday a request of the Senate to allow Lee to attend Thursday’s hearing.With Ding Cervantes, Marvin Sy