New charges part of cover-up for Mamasapano incident – Binay

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay believes that the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman to proceed with the preliminary investigation on the alleged irregularities in the construction of the Makati parking building may be used as a cover-up for the Mamasapano incident.

“That is true. They continued with the Senate hearings, now it’s the ombudsman,” Binay told reporters yesterday.

“We cannot change our politics, it’s still dirty,” he added.

A special panel of investigators formed by the ombudsman on Friday filed a complaint for graft, malversation and violation of the procurement law against the Vice President, his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and 22 others for the anomalous P2.2-billion car park project.

The ombudsman’s preliminary investigation bureau recommended that the Makati mayor and other incumbent Makati officials be placed under preventive suspension pending result of the probe. They are facing administrative charges for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Meanwhile, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV expects arrest warrants to be served against the Binays and 22 others in the next few months.

Trillanes is confident that charges will be filed against them before the Sandiganbayan by June or July after the ombudsman has completed its probe on the allegedly overpriced Makati parking building.

He said the ombudsman could end up filing plunder charges against the Binays.

“During the course of the investigation, if they find other evidence then it could be elevated to plunder,” Trillanes said in a radio interview.

He said the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee has submitted the evidence it has gathered in its hearings to the ombudsman.

The senator said the move of the ombudsman to proceed with its investigation on the overpriced Makati parking building was a vindication on the part of the Blue Ribbon sub-committee.

Trillanes said more cases would eventually be filed against the Vice President.

The Senate sub-committee has concluded its probe on the parking building issue and has since moved on to the allegedly overpriced construction of the Makati Science High School building, Binay’s estate in Batangas and the transactions between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and Alphaland Corp.

Trillanes predicted that the Vice President would no longer push through with his plan to run for president next year amid these controversies.

For his part, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada yesterday described the filing of graft charges against the Binays as another demolition job.

“The attacks against the Vice President and his family are part of a continuing demolition job,” Estrada said in an interview.

He is optimistic that the Binays will remain strong amid the controversies they are facing.

Mum on BSP polls

Meanwhile, Binay’s camp has refused to comment on a report regarding the upcoming election of BSP leaders.

Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado said it would be best if the BSP would comment on the issues raised by journalist Marites Vitug in a Newsbreak report on the BSP polls.

In the report published on Rappler, Vitug asked if there was a possibility that Binay could be replaced as BSP president over corruption issues involving a business deal with Alphaland.

Former BSP executive and Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado had accused the Vice President of pocketing P200 million in the deal with Alphaland.