Binay daughter tells ex-Makati vice mayor: Return your kickbacks

MANILA, Philippines - Makati City 2nd District Representative Abigail Binay on Wednesday reiterated her challenge to former city vice mayor Ernesto Mercado to return the alleged kickbacks he had pocketed to the government to prove himself as a credible whistleblower against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Rep. Binay said that being under the Witness Protection Program (WPP), Mercado should follow the rule of restitution, given that he had earlier admitted to pocketing kickbacks during his term as Makati vice mayor.

“By his own admission, Mercado profited from his anomalous transactions with contractors of the city government. He should then quantify how much he had earned and return everything to the government coffers,” Binay said.

Binay also chided Mercado, the prime accuser of her father in the ongoing Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigation of the alleged overprice of the Makati City Hall Building II, for repeatedly failing to present any hard evidence to prove his allegations.

“We vehemently deny his accusations against the Vice President, none of which he has been able to prove true so far. His continued failure to present any evidence that would stand up in a court of law has rendered incredible and mere hearsay all of his testimonies at the Senate hearings,” said Binay.

Binay earlier released a list of alleged properties owned by Mercado, including two in California, USA, specifically on Saffron County, Rancho Cucamonga, and Green Street in Pasadena.

Binay said the information was easy to access through the internet since the properties are either under the name of Mercado's wife or children.

Also on the list are the 100-hectare Coron Underwater Garden Hotel and Resort in Palawan; 500-hectare Hunter Valley Plantation and Resort in Cabanatuan City; Grand Villa Pateros; Grand Villa and Butterfly Center in Bay, Laguna; Nitz Face and Body Center in Pateros; Lawndale Finance in Cabanatuan City; St. Therese Multi-Specialty Services Hospital and Clinic in Pembo, Makati, and JMK Manpower Solutions in West Rembo, Makati.