No politics in Senate probe on Makati building – Drilon

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Franklin Drilon rejected yesterday allegations of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. that the Senate is being used for political attacks, and that he is violating its rules.

Speaking over dzBB radio, Drilon said no politics is behind the Senate Blue Ribbon inquiry into   alleged anomalies in Makati when Vice President Jejomar Binay was mayor and during the terms of his wife and son.

“The (Liberal) Party has nothing to do with this,” he said. “The resolution was filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and then it is now heard by the Blue Ribbon committee.”

Drilon said Binay has been trying to divert the public’s attention after failing to explain allegations of corruption that witnesses have corroborated   during the Senate hearings.

“Maybe Mayor Binay would have a hard time with the witnesses who are coming out,” he said in Filipino.

Drilon said the Senate has been conducting the hearings as part of its mandate to make laws and to ferret out the truth.

The Senate is not keen on gathering dirt or evidence against the Binays, he added.

Drilon said the Blue Ribbon committee has no plan to look for evidence in a criminal case.

“They are called resource persons so we would know if law should be amended or what should be changed in the existing anti-graft law,” he said in Filipino.

Nancy speaks out

Sen. Nancy Binay decried the alleged political persecution of her family and the prolonging of the Senate hearings to destroy the credibility of her father. 

“It turns out that the hearings are conducted not anymore in aid of legislation,  but in aid of public ambition for 2016,” she said. “You can see that those who are attending the hearings are those who want to destroy their potential enemies.” 

Binay accused Audit commissioner Heidi Mendoza of being part of a “script” to attack her father.

“True to form, she (Mendoza) followed a script to pin us down,” she said.

Binay said Mendoza was presenting to the Senate an apparent audit report that the Supreme Court (SC) has rejected as evidence in a complaint dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Just like a zombie, the case is being resurrected when it was already junked by the ombudsman,” she said.

Binay urged chairman Teofisto Guingona III to convene the main Senate Blue Ribbon committee to look into the jurisdictional challenge filed by   Mayor Binay.  

Survey: Binay will win vs Aquino

Vice President Binay will win by a wide margin against President Aquino in a presidential election, a nationwide survey conducted last month showed.

A poll conducted by Laylo Research Strategies from Sept. 7 to 11 presented to 1,200 registered voters two scenarios: Binay against Aquino, and Binay against Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II. – With Paolo Romero