Sandigan OKs Junjun Binay’s Hong Kong trip

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has granted the request of former Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. for a four-day trip to Hong Kong together with his children.

In a short hearing on Friday, the court’s Fifth Division granted in open court Binay’s motion to travel to Hong Kong from Nov. 16 to 19 despite the objection of state prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman.

The court’s Third Division granted the same motion of Binay during a hearing on Nov. 5.

Binay has a standing hold departure order issued by the Third and Fifth Divisions in connection with his pending criminal cases. He is barred from leaving the country unless there is a prior written permission from both court divisions.

In a motion filed last month, Binay said he intends to accompany his minor daughter, Maria Kennely, to a gymnastics competition to be held on Nov. 17 to 18 in Hung Hum Kowloon and to bring all four of his children to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Binay is facing before the Third Division four counts of graft, six counts of falsification of public documents and one count of malversation of public funds in connection with the alleged anomalous construction of the P2.2-billion Makati City Hall Building II, also known as the Makati parking building.

His cases at the Fifth Division, meanwhile, involve four counts of graft and three counts each of falsification of public documents over the alleged anomalous construction of the P1.3-billion Makati Science High School building.

Also named as an accused in both sets of cases was Binay’s father, former vice president Jejomar Binay Sr. The Office of the Ombudsman, which filed the cases, said the anomalous construction of both buildings ran during Binay Sr. and Binay Jr.’s respective terms as the mayor of Makati.