Binay camp sees prolonged hearing on corruption cases

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay expects the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee to prolong its hearings on various corruption allegations against him until the campaign period next year to ruin his chances of winning the presidential elections in 2016.

Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesman for political affairs, said after almost a year the Senate subcommittee has failed to establish concrete or sufficient evidence to pin him down.

The panel conducted its first hearing on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and other related anomalies involving Binay on Aug. 20, 2014.

Other corruption allegations thrown against the Vice President are the rigging of biddings for various infrastructure projects including the Makati Science High School and the Binay family’s alleged ownership of huge tracts of land in Rosario, Batangas.

 “It is obvious that the intent is to prolong the hearings until the campaign period in order to bring down the Vice President’s ratings. To reiterate, the hearings are not in aid of legislation but in aid of political demolition,” Quicho said.

Quicho issued the statement after Sen. Francis Escudero, a former ally of Binay, maintained yesterday that there is “sufficient basis” for the Senate’s recommendation to file plunder charges against the Vice President and several others in connection with the Makati corruption allegations. 

“Sen. Escudero could not turn a blind eye to the fact that these unfair accusations are not new to the Vice President. These accusations have been rehashed and reused merely for political mileage and to bring down his survey ratings,”