Binay bares documents he brought to debate

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay's attempt to bring pieces of paper to Sunday's debate was the subject of a miscommunication that caused more than an hour-long delay in the program.

Binay's camp insisted that the presidential candidate wanted to refer to documents and not "notes." Debate rules set by the Commission on Elections forbid candidates from bringing notes to the debate floor.

"Nasa stage na ako doon ko lang nalaman na bawal magdala ng dokumento," Binay said at a press conference in Mactan City on Monday.

Opposition leader Vice President Jejomar Binay shows the media on Monday, March 21, 2016 a waiver he urges all presidential candidates to sign authorizing the Anti-Money Laundering Council to check all of their bank accounts. UNA photo / Released

Binay listed down the documents that he brought to the debate, among which are was statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, or SALN, a document disclosing a government employee's wealth. He also brought copies of his income tax returns since his the start of his political career in 1987.

Source of campaign funds are also declared in his statement of contributions and expenditures, or SOCE, while his physical and mental fitness to become president is stated in a medical certificate.

Also in the pile was an Anti-Money Laundering Council ex parte motion stating the removal from its civil forfeiture case Binay's JCB Foundation as a respondent, which opposition party United Natonalist Alliance says is the only firm linking Binay with alleged illegal activities.

He also furnished the media with a copy of his affidavit submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigating corruption allegations against him in connection with the overpricing of Makati City construction projects. In the copy of the affidavit submitted in November 2014, Binay's camp maintained that there is no proof that the P2.28 billion spent on a building has an unjustifiably high price tag.

He also bought with him the plaque for the 2011 Seal of Good House Keeping from the Department of the Interior and Local Government signed by the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, the plaque for the 2014 Blue Certification for Business Permits from the Office of the Ombudsman signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, and the plaque from the National Competitive Council for being the 1st Place Most Competitive City in the overall competitiveness category.

RELATED: Binay urges presidential rivals to bare bank accounts

Binay was scored by his rivals in the presidential race for insisting to read from documents during the debate, saying he should abide by rules set by the poll body. News5 Chief Luchi Cruz-Valdes, who was also the debate moderator, had apologized for mistakenly allowing Binay to present documents at the debate. — Camille Diola with reports from The Freeman