Former city dad dared to file charges vs Binay

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay challenged yesterday former city councilor Oscar Ibay to file the charges in court if he has evidence against him for graft instead of resorting to "trial by publicity."

In an interview with The STAR, Binay also asked Ibay to reveal to the public where he is getting the funding for the expensive paid advertisements that he had for the past several months with The Philippine Star.

Binay said Ibay’s attack on him and his family were just meant to uplift his chances in the coming May elections this year. "Ibay is running for congressman in the first district of Makati. This is election time. We don’t really want to stoop to that level. If you did not raise the issue, we wouldn’t have issued statements. Ibay should tell the public where the funding is coming from and if there are indeed such irregularities, he should file the charges against me before the court, instead of resorting to trial by publicity," Binay said.

Binay said Ibay, who belongs to the administration, is consistently subjecting him to black propaganda being the head of the opposition in Makati.

"They all (administration) think that if they cut off the head, we will all fall," Binay said.

Binay said Ibay’s allegations and the recent rumor spread in Makati by his political detractors that his daughter, Lawyer Abigail "Abby" Binay, is a battered daughter was part of the concerted effort to destroy the opposition in Makati.

Ibay, convenor of the Save Makati Movement along with its chapter coordinators, has been consistent in paying ads with The STAR asking the Office of the Ombudsman to immediately resolve the graft cases filed by himself and former Makati Vice Mayor Bobby Brillante against Binay.

Along the graft cases, which Ibay wants to be immediately resolved by the Ombudsman, include the plunder, estafa and unethical conduct cases filed in Aug. 20, 2003 by Brillante against Binay, his wife, Elenita, other Makati officials and the Apollo Medical Equipment and Supplies alleged for the rigged bidding, gross overpricing, ghost delivery and falsification of public documents in the purchase of hospital equipment and supplies for the Ospital ng Makati involving P431 million city funds from 2000 to 2001; the same charges filed in Oct. 23, 2003 by Brillante against Binay, his wife and the officials and suppliers of the Office Gallery International, Inc. and Ascia Concept International, Inc. for the alleged fraudulent purchase and overpriced purchase of office furniture and partitions for the Makati City Hall involving P231 million; the estafa, graft charges and violation of Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) law filed in Oct. 2006 by Brillante against Binay and other officials for allegedly maintaining ghost employees in the City’s payroll.

Ibay also asked the Ombudsman to immediately act on the complaint he filed in December 2006 against Binay, City Accountant Leonila Querijero and, City Treasurer Nelia Barlis and 24 Makati barangay chairmen for malversation, violation of civil service law, violation of the local government code over the implementation of the Paluwagan ng Bayan.

Binay said the paid ads of Ibay were mere noises that he does not really want to dignify.

"There is no pending case against me in the Ombudsman. It’s all noise. The paluwagan that he was referring are above board. The funding of barangays all over Makati are limited. So, it limits the projects that they do. So we implement the Paluwagan system, but we did through the right process. We asked the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) about their opinion and the DILG told us that it is a good project. Then, we passed it to the Commission on Audit (COA) if it violates any law. The COA and DILG said it is a good project. So, we push through with that project" Binay said.

Binay said since it is election time, he doesn’t want to be saddled as much as possible with legal battle. – Jose Rodel Clapano