Binay’s wife posts bail in graft case

MANILA, Philippines - Former Makati mayor Elenita Binay posted P70,000 bail before the Sandiganbayan yesterday in the graft and malversation case against her in connection with the purchase of allegedly overpriced hospital beds for the Ospital ng Makati.

She was accompanied by her husband, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and their children Sen. Nancy Binay and Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., as she personally appeared before the Sandiganbayan before the anti-graft court issues any arrest warrant since she intends to travel to Hawaii next month.

Binay underwent the usual processing which include the taking of fingerprint samples, the submission of pictures, and the filling up of a personal data sheet.

She is expected to ask the anti-graft court for a separate permission to travel to Hawaii from June 6 to June 27, which the Fourth and Fifth Divisions where she is facing other cases had allowed.

Her lawyers have said the complaints against their client were filed more than 10 years ago and such “inordinate delay” violated the rules requiring the Ombudsman to act promptly on a case and thus, violated the former mayor’s right to due process and speedy resolution of the cases against her.

The Vice President described the decision of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to revive the charges despite the dismissal of the case in May 2011 for insufficiency of evidence as “glaring acts of abuse of authority and violation of her rights.”

He said the revival of the case is “apparently part of a campaign” to malign his family’s name in preparation for the 2016 national elections. He has declared his intention to run for the country’s top post.