Businessman gives Trillanes tour of Batangas estate

MANILA, Philippines - There were no handshakes when “good friends” met at the Sunchamp Agri-Tourism Park in Batangas yesterday.

Despite a snag that initially prevented Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV from conducting an ocular inspection of the so-called Hacienda Binay in Rosario town, the lawmaker and members of media were able to enter the 150-hectare estate.

After the tour, Triallanes said he still believed that Vice President Jejomar Binay, not businessman Antonio Tiu was its real owner.

The senator had referred to Tiu as a “good friend” when the businessman launched the agri-tourism park last August.

Trillanes and the group arrived at the property before noon, but caretakers who were apparently not advised of the visit barred them from entering.

In a letter sent by the Gabionza De Santos & Partners law firm representing Tiu to Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III yesterday morning, it was noted that the ocular inspection would be conducted at 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Trillanes was irked when a lawyer of Tiu, Charina Quintanilla, advised them that only the senator would be allowed to enter the estate and not the media.

The senator decided to leave the premises.

In the letter to Pimentel, Santiago Gabionza Jr. said that “for orderly conduct and so as to preserve our client’s constitutional rights,” only the members of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee would be allowed to enter the Sunchamp Agri-Tourism Park and they

would be accompanied by persons assigned by Tiu.

Tiu eventually arrived at the estate, which prompted Trillanes to return and proceed with his inspection accompanied by members of the media.

Trillanes was furious about the snafu considering that he and Tiu had a verbal agreement about the ocular inspection during the Senate hearing on the allegedly overpriced Makati parking building and the alleged hidden wealth of Binay last Wednesday.

Tiu apologized, saying that it was just a problem with coordination, but this was not accepted by Trillanes, who even refused to shake the businessman’s hand.

The inspection of the sprawling facility showed no visible evidence that it was owned by the Binays.

It was not 350 hectares as claimed by former Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado when he first presented aerial photographs and videos

of the property to the Senate subcommittee hearings.

Tiu said that it was closer to 150 hectares and was not at all extravagant as how Mercado described it.

The Chinese-Filipino businessman insisted that he bought the property from Gregorio Laureano Jr. in 2013 for P446 million.

He has paid a total of P11 million so far as downpayment, and in exchange, Tiu said that he was given usufruct, or the right to use the property.

Tiu escorted Trillanes’ party to the mansion, pavilion, and other facilities inside the agri-tourism park, including the nine-hectare orchid farm that was reportedly being leased by the Vice President’s wife, Elenita Binay for P90,000 a year.

The air-conditioned piggery that Mercado claimed was owned by the Binays, was also presented by Tiu.

But contrary to what Mercado claimed, there was only one small air-conditioned room at the piggery where the insemination of the pigs were supposedly being done.

Tiu said that the area where the piggery was standing was being leased by a private firm.

Trillanes admitted that there was nothing there that could show that the property was actually owned by the Binays.

However, the senator said that Tiu does not hold any of the titles to the property.

He described the estate as “lavish” and “obscene” and said that he was

convinced it was owned by the Binays.

Trillanes said that the Vice President has been projecting that he is poor and ordinary but the truth was he enjoys a “kingly” lifestyle.

Tiu reiterated that he was not being used as a dummy by anyone, especially not the Vice President.

He said that he has several other properties that were more extravagant than the Rosario estate.

Debate at PICC

The camp of Binay has proposed the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City to be the venue of the one-on-one debate of the Vice President with Trillanes.

Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, Binay’s spokesperson for political affairs, said that the PICC is an ideal neutral place for the debate that will be moderated by members of the Kapisanan ng Broadcasting ng Pilipinas (KBP).

He said only the moderators and panelist of prominent lawyers must be allowed so that there will be no cheering on both camps.

Remulla said the event could be covered live by television networks.

“The date can be set anytime after the Holy Week,” he said.

Pasay city police chief Senior Superintendent Melchor Reyes said they would implement a security plan in case the debate pushes through. With Perseus Echeminada