Alleged Binay 'dummy' to bare proof of ownership at Senate

MANILA, Philippines — Businessman Antonio "Tony" Tiu, tagged as a front for Vice President Jejomar Binay, will bring "evidence" that he is the real owner of an expansive property in Batangas to the next Senate hearing.

Tiu said he has the memorandum of agreement between Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp. and Laureano Gregorio Jr. as well as tax declaration that his company has assumed control of the 150-hectare property in Rosario town said to be worth P446 million.

He also belied statements of Sens. Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano that he cannot produce documents showing that the property is under his name and not owned by Binay.

"E nung last hearing di ba nag one-minute break pa para tawagan ko ang mga abogado na dalhin ang mga dokumento? So hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi nakarating sa mga senador," Tiu said late Tuesday on ABS-CBN's Bandila.

RELATED: Tiu claims getting 'threats' to declare Batangas property not his

So this coming hearing, sisiguraduhin ko na bitbit ko," he said.

The next hearing for the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation on the alleged anomalies in Makati City projects when Binay was still its mayor is set to resume on Thursday.

Tiu said that while the land title has not yet been turned over to him, the former owners of the property have two years to complete the documents and he and his company retain the "right to use the property."

"Mayroon tayong memorandum of agreement, meron tayong mga tax [declarations], 'yun ang nagpapatunay na tayo yung may right over the property," he said.

Tiu claimed that the contract was already completed in 2013, but only executed in 2014. He said the farm was opened only last August 5.