Alphaland files P100-M damage suit vs Binay accuser

MANILA, Philippines - Former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado faces a P100-million damage suit before the Makati Regional Trial Court for accusing developer Alphaland Corp. of giving P200 million in kickbacks to Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Alphaland president Mario Oreta said contrary to Mercado’s allegations, the transactions between the firm and the Boy Scouts of the Philippines over a one-hectare lot at the corner of Malugay street and Ayala Avenue Extention in Makati City are aboveboard.

A criminal complaint for libel will be filed against Mercado when Alphaland chairman Roberto Ongpin returns from South America in about two weeks, Oreta said.

Joker: End Binay probe

Former Blue Ribbon committee chairman Joker Arroyo said yesterday the Senate investigation into the alleged anomalies involving Binay has dragged on for too long and must be concluded as soon as possible.

Arroyo said the investigation into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II is the longest Blue Ribbon hearing in its 60-year  history.

“Blue Ribbon rules provide that reports on bills and resolutions referred to the committee shall, as far as practicable, be completed and approved within 30 days from such referral,” he said. 

Arroyo called on senators to immediately settle the question of whether the order of Blue Ribbon chairman Teofisto Guingona III to detain Mayor Binay and five other individuals was valid.

Arroyo said the Senate must determine if the chairman and a member alone can act for and in behalf of the 20-member Blue Ribbon committee and order the arrest and detention of an individual.

Arroyo said in past Blue Ribbon committee investigations, when officials were found guilty of certain offenses, all the Senate could do was to recommend to the Office of the Ombudsman or the DOJ that they investigate the case, but it did not mete out punishment.

Cayetano asked to inhibit

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano was asked yesterday to inhibit from deliberations on the Senate rules regarding the order of contempt against Mayor Binay and six other city officials.

Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco said Cayetano must not take part in the deliberations as he cannot prove his independence as Senate committee on rules chairman.

“If he still has some delicadeza left in his blood, prudence dictates that he should inhibit from deliberations on the rules covering the Blue Ribbon committee simply because he is one of the attack dogs and has prejudged the issues,” the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president said. 

On Monday, Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee chairman Aquilino Pimentel III recommended to the mother committee that several Makati officials be cited for contempt for failing to appear in the hearings on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and other anomalies.

However, the Senate deferred the service of the arrest order and the detention of Mayor Binay after acting Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III questioned the quorum and procedure that the Blue Ribbon committee had taken.

Sotto said at least nine members or half of the committee membership should have taken up the matter. Only three senators were present during the Blue Ribbon committee meeting last Monday: chairman Teofisto Guingona III, Antonio Trillanes IV and Pimentel. – With Helen Flores, Marvin Sy