Binay son eyes US vacation

MANILA, Philippines -  Former Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. has asked the Third Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to allow him to stay in the United States for a vacation with his four children.

In his five-page motion, Binay, the son of former vice president Jejomar Binay, asked the Third Division to allow him to stay in the US for 23 days or from June 8 to 30.

In a short hearing yesterday, the Third Division gave the prosecution until Monday to file its comment on Binay’s motion.

Binay said his four children, after they “successfully hurdled the 2016-2017 school year,” asked him “to spend their vacation as a family outside the Philippines.”

He said their family specifically intends to stay in California, New York and Washington.

The Third Division had earlier issued a hold departure order (HDO) against Binay to bar him from leaving the country unless there is a prior written permission from the court. 

The HDO was issued in connection with four counts of graft, one count of malversation of public funds and six counts of falsification of public documents against Binay over the alleged overpriced construction of the P2.2-billion Makati City Hall Building II.

Binay said he has been conditionally arraigned for the cases during his previous travel to the US. He added that his travel bond of P608,000, which he posted for a previous US trip, remains unwithdrawn.

In August last year, the Third Division allowed Binay to go to the US to bring his daughter to a medical specialist.