Binay defends son’s snub of Senate

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday he is standing by his son, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., in the face of the Senate’s threat to arrest the city’s officials for their refusal to heed the summons of the Blue Ribbon sub-committee.

Binay said his son was just defending his principles by not appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee, which is currently investigating various corruption allegations against the Vice President and his family.

“You know that principles are at stake here. He is a strong person,” Binay told reporters in an interview after attending the 1st General Assembly of the Vishay Philippines Inc. Employees Union-Federation of Free Workers in Taguig City.

The Vice President, however, declined to comment when asked if the mayor’s decision not to attend the probe on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and other anomalies is final.

“Let’s wait for the results of the Senate Blue Ribbon’s meeting tomorrow,” Binay said.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee is scheduled to meet today to discuss the recommendation of the subcommittee to cite Mayor Binay and six other city officials for contempt for not appearing in its hearings.

Should the Senate decide to cite Mayor Binay for contempt and arrest him, the Vice President said they “will not violate any actions done legally.”

Binay, however, lamented that “the law is being abused” by his political opponents in the Senate.

Binay’s spokesperson for political affairs, Rico Paolo Quicho, said Mayor Binay has addressed the questions of the three senators leading the probe when he attended the hearing in August last year.

Quicho said the city government of Makati has also provided the senators the documents they requested.

“Mayor Binay has already answered their questions. However, it appears they’re not going to stop,” Quicho told radio station dzBB yesterday.

Quicho said they will wait for the decision of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee and “will act accordingly.”

“We can question the decision and file a motion for reconsideration,” Quicho said when asked of the possible legal remedies the Binay camp would take should the Senate decide to arrest the mayor.

Political harassment

Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesperson for media affairs, described yesterday as political harassment the threat of some senators to arrest Mayor Binay for contempt.

Salgado, who also heads the Makati City public information office, also maintained that the Vice President and his son are ready to face the consequences of not attending the Senate hearings.

“It is clear that the family is being harassed by the Vice President’s detractors in the Senate and even outside the Senate,” Salgado said in a text message to The STAR.

Salgado said the Makati mayor is merely requesting advance copies of the questions to be asked in the hearing.