Binays release ‘harassment’ video

MANILA, Philippines - The office of Vice President Jejomar Binay released yesterday closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to bolster its claim that dismissed Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay was harassed by policemen when they served the Office of the Ombudsman’s dismissal order against him last Wednesday.

The Vice President’s spokespersons earlier branded as overkill and overacting the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s move to deploy and surround Junjun’s house with policemen, which a DILG official denied.

“The CCTV footage taken at the time the DILG served the… dismissal order against Junjun Binay is proof that that the DILG is lying,” Binay’s spokesman for media affairs Joey Salgado said.

Salgado said contrary to DILG-National Capital Region director Maria Lourdes Agustin’s claim that no police cars surrounded Junjun’s house in San Antonio Village, the video showed at least three police cars and six police officers were in the vicinity on Wednesday morning. 

After seven months’ investigation, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales last week ordered Junjun’s dismissal from office for the allegedly overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building II. 

The ombudsman also prohibited Binay and his co-respondents from holding public office.