Binay wants cases raffled off

MANILA, Philippines -  The camp of former vice president Jejomar Binay will file a motion asking the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division to reconsider its decision denying his motion to raffle off the cases filed against him before the court.

“We are merely asking that the same rules be applied to the Binays instead of being the exception. We will seek reconsideration of the order denying our motion to raffle,” lawyer Daniel Subido said yesterday.

On Jan. 31, the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division denied Binay’s motion to raffle off the cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against him in July last year in connection with the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall parking building 2.

Subido said they will file their motion for reconsideration because the anti-graft court’s Third Division did not conduct a raffle and directly consolidated Binay’s cases with the cases filed against his son, former Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr.

Junjun is facing four counts of graft, six counts of falsification of public documents and one count of malversation of public funds before the anti-graft court while his father – himself a former Makati mayor – has been charged with four counts of graft, nine counts of falsification of public documents and one count of malversation of public funds.

Subido said the Third Division is the same division that handles the case of Binay’s wife, former Makati mayor Elenita Binay.

Binay’s wife filed a motion for reconsideration on Jan. 24, asking Third Division chairman and Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang to inhibit from handling her cases.

Binay alleged that Tang is biased and she will not get a fair trial from the Third Division.