Red Ribbon appears at Blue Ribbon probe

MANILA, Philippines - From a parking building to cakes given as gifts to senior citizens, the Makati government is guilty of overpricing.

This is according to lawyer Renato Bondal, who elicited jokes and laughter at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee yesterday as he brought out three cakes to bolster his accusations about the building overprice.

The Binays have described Bondal as part of a political demolition team targeting Vice  President Jejomar Binay, who is leading in surveys for the 2016 presidential race.

Bondal, who is accusing the Vice President and his son Junjun of corruption, pointed to the cakes as he explained the overpriced Makati City parking building 2.

Bondal said the birthday cakes, given to senior citizens residing in Makati, could be overpriced by around P1,000 each.

He presented two other cakes from Red Ribbon and Goldilocks bakeshops to compare the discrepancy in the price of the “Makati birthday cakes.”

Prior to this, Senate acting minority leader Vicente Sotto III asked if the cakes have a connection with the Senate’s mandate to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation.

“How is the cake related to legislation?” Sotto asked in jest.

The issue provided comic relief during the Senate hearing, which was characterized by name-calling and accusations of corruption.

But Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV took the jab seriously, saying that Bondal was trying to prove a point that there had been many instances of overpricing, ranging from cakes to government buildings.

Trillanes said the Senate can look again at the provisions of the procurement law after hearing of the alleged anomaly of the cakes.

He also tasked the Commission on Audit to look into all details regarding the distribution of birthday cakes to senior citizens in Makati City.

Mayor Binay said he is ready to present documents proving that there is no overprice in the purchase of birthday cakes.