MANILA, Philippines - Former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado and lawyers Renato Bondal and Nicolas Enciso VI have been placed under the government’s witness protection program (WPP) after they accused Vice President Jejomar Binay of corruption when he was mayor of Makati.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Department of Justice (DOJ) made the move upon request of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee.
“They applied for immunity in the Senate, and the Senate committee, through its recommendation for WPP coverage, effectively granted that,” she said.
“The effect of WPP coverage is immunity because it is a way of encouraging the witness to be very really open about what they know in connection with a particular subject matter which is under investigation.”
De Lima said the Blue Ribbon’s recommendation sufficed to approve the coverage of the three witnesses under the WPP.
The Blue Ribbon had competent assessment of qualification of the witnesses, particularly on their “relevance, materiality and importance” in the charges against Binay, she added.
De Lima said she was uncertain if the three witnesses would also need financial support from the WPP.
“They are covered in full,” she said. “They are given security protection, especially if they are on witness duty. They are also entitled also to temporary shelter, but that’s voluntary only.”
De Lima said the WPP could terminate its coverage of Mercado, Bondal and Enciso if they are found to have committed perjury.
“They should tell the truth because if later on it will be found that they are lying, there are repercussions,” she said.
“They could be charged for perjury and we will also drop them from WPP coverage. There are these conditions to the program.”
The WPP was still waiting for the Senate’s recommendation for the coverage of former Makati general services division chief Mario Hechanova, another witness against Binay, De Lima said.
Nothing wrong
Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, Binay’s spokesman for political concerns, sees nothing wrong with the WPP coverage of Mercado, Bondal and Enciso.
“The Vice President respects their decision (to seek witness protection), he told The STAR in a text message. “He wishes them well.”
The Senate investigation against Binay was “political theatrics,” Remulla said.
Binay urged to come clean
Vice President Binay was urged yesterday to come clean on the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall annex building and other supposed corruption issues when he was mayor.
Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said Binay could not just dismiss allegations of corruption in Makati when he was mayor as mere politicking.
“He does not have any other option out of this fiasco but to come clean,” he said.
“If it was not him and his family, then he must identify who benefited from the kickbacks and overprice.
“Assuming that the VP did not take kickbacks, it would not speak well of him that he tolerated or was blind to the fact that his subordinates were stealing public funds. Why would the people elect to the presidency a man who allowed his underlings to loot the treasury?”
Bello said Binay should give an honest, up front answer to all corruption allegations.
“Every day, something new is revealed to the Filipino people,” he said.
“The only way for Binay to maintain his credibility is to provide honest answers to all these questions. He and his camp can no longer just cry he is being persecuted because he is the frontrunner in the presidential race. The charges are too grave.”
Bello said Binay must respond, particularly to the latest statements of former vice mayor Mercado that he received 13 percent in kickbacks from Makati infrastructure projects.
Mercado’s allegations are credible, since he has provided more details like the delivery of millions of pesos in bags to members of the Binay family, he added.
Bello said the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall annex building “might just be the tip of the iceberg.”
“The public should probably be ready for worse,” he said.
“After all, there are just too many serious charges of corruption during the years the vice president served as Makati mayor, and we must not forget that.
“The Senate Blue Ribbon committee should probably expand its investigation into these areas.”
He cited the report of the Commission on Audit that uncovered “a major problem in Makati’s financial records, including a P57.96-million discrepancy between the city’s cash in bank and the balance recorded by the city’s accountant, the P627.8-million disallowed purchases, or expenditures already made or approved but later on deemed by the COA to be unallowable, and other indications of deliberate mismanagement of funds.”
Audit reports also showed the overpricing of medical equipment for the Ospital ng Makati, basic office supplies like pencils and oil and lubricants for vehicles assigned to the offices of the mayor and vice mayor, he added. – Jess Diaz