Raps not true, VP swears to God

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay invoked Divine Providence and said the corruption allegations against him are not true.

“I just want to tell all of you, to God and people, that I’m not the owner of that property. Even the piggery, they say it’s air-conditioned, that’s the first time I’ve heard of that,” Binay said in Filipino in an interview with radio dxCA on Thursday.

Binay also appealed to Filipinos to rally behind him amid what he said were the escalating personal attacks against him and his family.

Binay issued the statement during his visit to Pagadian City on Thursday to attend the 11th Rovers Moot of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

Binay made the statement in reference to allegations that he owns a 350-hectare farm in Rosario, Batangas through a businessman dummy.

Binay admitted owning a piggery and a flower farm – inside the nine-hectare portion of the property – but said he sold his shares to JCB Farms when he won the vice presidency in 2010.

Binay earlier said he chose to answer all the corruption allegations thrown at him by some senators directly to the people instead of attending the ongoing Senate investigation.

He branded the Senate investigation on him as a “kangaroo court.”

“They are prejudiced. It’s a kangaroo court. They already have the decision. They are not investigating …their intention really is to discredit me,” he said.

“The senators are excessively pounding on me, you should have seen their demeanor, they really wanted me destroyed… I pity the witnesses in the investigation,” Binay said.

Binay lauded businessman Antonio Tiu, who stood pat in maintaining that he was the owner of the 350-hectare property despite how he was grilled by the senators.

He challenged Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to bring out the truth on the allegations, which he said are part of a demolition job.

On Tuesday, Binay challenged Trillanes to a one-on-one debate.

Binay said he wants to debate Trillanes so he can answer the allegations against him point by point.

Spokesman Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said the Vice President has no plans of attending the “farcical” Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing as the senators conducting the hearing have already “prejudged” him.

Binay noted the Senate Blue Ribbon committee itself, led by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, the mother committee of the panel investigating the allegations against him, will issue the invitation.

He said he is still considering whether to appear before the probe.

“I heard that the mother committee will be the one to lead it. I can’t call it an investigation, but I think it’s just a forum (to malign me),” Binay told a press conference in Pagadian City last Thursday. “Let’s wait for developments and we’ll talk about it.”

Guingona said on Wednesday they will invite Binay to the ongoing investigation into the corruption allegations against him.

Guingona assured Binay the panel will give him fair treatment, respect and opportunity to answer the accusations he is facing.

Binay joined local officials in a boodle fight at the Pagadian Public Market.

He recounted during their meal two elderly women approached him and were teary eyed because of the extreme accusations hurled against him.

Binay, meanwhile, thanked the people of Mindanao for their continued support for him and his family as he urged people not to listen to baseless lies and accusations.

“Let us stay together. To all the towns and cities, thank you for all your support. It started in 2010, you continued to support us with Senator Nancy Binay, now I appeal to you, please don’t believe these false accusations against me,” the Vice President said. – Roel Pareño