Estrada defends Binay against COA probe

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada defended yesterday Vice President Jejomar Binay against the investigation being secretly conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA).

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Estrada said that some of the cases being pursued by the COA against Binay have already been dismissed during the past administration.

“Clearly, all of these are politically motivated. Some of these cases were already dismissed,” he said.

Estrada, who ran under the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) with Binay as his vice presidential bet in the 2010 elections, said he will support Binay should the latter pursue his bid for the presidency in the 2016 elections.

He said some of Binay’s political foes are now orchestrating political propaganda against the Vice President in an effort to block his presidential bid in 2016.

Binay earlier slammed COA’s auditing of his projects during his more than 20 years in office as mayor of Makati.

He said COA commissioner Heidi Mendoza, who secretly undertook the investigation, is part of a demolition campaign against him by those who are “insecure” of his high survey ratings and see him as a threat to their political plans.

“By that time, I don’t deny that I will be a candidate (for president). You see, I am not yet a candidate, but they are already destroying me. Maybe this is because they are now insecure with the high ratings that I am receiving in surveys,” Binay said.