Senate sub-panel junks Binay challenge

MANILA, Philippines - The investigation of the Makati City Hall II parking building resumed on Wednesday with the Senate Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee denying the jurisdictional challenge filed by Makati City Mayor Erwin "Junjun" Binay.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the sub-committee, dismissed the jurisdictional challenge filed by Binay and other invited resource persons for lack of merit.

Binay has questioned the jurisdiction of the sub-committee to probe the allegedly overpriced building, claiming that the hearings are not in aid of legislation and are only meant to malign Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family.

"The fact that several ideas have resulted from these hearings for the amendment of existing procurement laws, laws on accountability of officers and even on the rules of the Commission on Audit on what are allowable expenses in the construction of public buildings belie the allegations that the ongoing hearings are not in aid of legislation," Pimentel said at the start of the televised hearing.

Pimentel said the jurisdictional challenge should have been filed at the earliest opportunity because based on the rules of the Blue Ribbon Committee, a jurisdictional challenge should be raised and resolved before proceeding with the inquiry.

Pimentel said Binay raised the jurisdictional challenge when the inquiry had already started and progressed.

"It was actually Mayor Binay... who introduced the concepts of 'world-class' and 'green' (building) that he dictated the agenda for the subsequent hearings of the sub-committee," Pimentel said.

The senator also believes that only members of the Senate committee and not resource persons can file a jurisdictional challenge.