'VP Binay gave P200K monthly allowance to rig project biddings'

MANILA, Philippines - During his term as Makati City mayor, Vice President Jejomar Binay allegedly gave about P200,000 monthly allowance to local officials to manipulate the bidding for government projects.

This was the revelation of Mario Hechanova, former head of the Makati City government general service department, during the resumption of the Senate hearing on the Makati City Hall II parking building on Thursday. He said they were given the allowance to ensure that favored contractors won the bidding.

Hechanova claimed that the bidding for the controversial parking building was among those rigged.

"Bilang bids and awards committee, may natatanggap po kaming allowance kay mayor buwan-buwan. Halos P200,000 po kada buwan," Hechanova told Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who called for the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee hearing.

"Siguro po, senador, para gawin lang namin kung ano 'yung dapat naming gawin... which is ako, on my part, e ayusin namin yung lahat ng bidding namin," he added.

Hechanova answered in the affirmative when asked if he meant was to rig the project biddings.

Hechanova said they were told that the allowance was from Binay himself.

"'Pag inaabot po sa amin 'yun e pinasasabi heto yung allowance ninyo galing kay mayor," Hechanova said.

He further claimed that Binay knew all of these shady transactions in the city hall.

"Being the mayor, alam niya po ang nangyayari sa gobyerno niya," Hechanova said.

During the testimony, Trillanes moved to put Hechanova under the witness protection program of the Department of Justice.

Binay, who has yet to attend the probe, has repeatedly denied benefiting from the projects of the Makati City goverment.