Binay warns friends of political persecution

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay warned his friends they, too, could fall victim to political persecution as shown in the ongoing Senate investigation of various corruption allegations thrown at him.

“More to come, more to come. Because many of our friends are telling us they will be identified as dummies. That is the direction of the smear campaign against me,” Binay said in an interview with ANC’s “Beyond Politics” last week.

Binay had denied allegations made by former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado that he used dummies to hide his ownership of his other assets.

He said businessmen Antonio Tiu and Gregorio Laureano, two of those identified as Binay’s dummies, are just acquaintances.

“This Mr. Laureano, we just say hi to each other. I think he has a small pawnshop business. This Mr. Tiu, it was my staff who reminded me that he visited me once during an investors’ forum. So they’re not really close friends,” he said.

Mercado has tagged Tiu as one of Binay’s fronts to cover up his ownership of the P1.2-billion 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas.

Tiu, however, claimed ownership of the property during a recent hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee.

In his speech at the 32nd anniversary of the Lion’s Club International District 301-D2 at the Manila Pavilion on Saturday, Binay said the Senate inquiry has become a platform “to unjustly” malign him and his family, including people he said only had the remotest association with him.

“I only wish that you could have extended that gift of sight to some members of the Senate who have been so blinded by political ambition that they cannot see that their recent activities and actuations are no longer in aid of legislation but in aid of political persecution,” Binay said.

Binay is accused of pocketing public funds by overpricing and rigging the bidding of various projects when he was mayor of Makati City.

The Vice President has refused to attend the Senate hearings, which he described as a “kangaroo court.”

Binay instead challenged Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to a debate.

Binay also slammed Trillanes for calling him names.

“This is just another proof of Mr. Trillanes’ anti-poor thinking. All of those behind the smear campaign against me think lowly of the poor and those who are dark-skinned,” Binay said in a statement yesterday.

Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) also said Trillanes should raise the level of his politics and stop resorting to name-calling.

“As a senator, Trillanes should have been more circumspect about his ‘kulay- and asal-mahirap’ remark... but what would you expect from a swollen-headed and trash-talking soul who maligns the poor and thinks very lowly of them. A serial political maniac like Sen. Trillanes would use every opportunity for his political gain,” UNA interim president Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said.

“His motives are bared behind his choice of words,” he added.

Tiangco also denied allegations from Trillanes that Binay owns several bank accounts abroad.

“Another lie from a senator with a history of lying. Unlike Pinocchio, it’s not the nose that grows with every lie but his ego. He is becoming arrogant. We will not be surprised if he will show fake documents because he is very good at lying,” Tiangco said.

Lynching party

More legal experts also criticized the ongoing Senate investigation against Binay.

Political analyst and De La Salle University law professor Antonio Contreras and University of the East law dean Amado Valdez both believed the conduct being shown by members of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee against resource persons could boomerang and cast doubt on credibility of the probe.

In separate interviews over the weekend, Contreras and Valdez said the panel already has a foregone conclusion – that Binay is guilty – as shown in the “lynching” of resource persons during previous hearings.

Contreras observed that when former vice mayor Mercado and other “witnesses” spoke, there were no interruptions and were allowed to finish their statements.

“But when Tiu was talking, they butt in,” he said.

Contreras warned that Filipino viewers are not stupid and many frown on the lawmakers’ antics, which might damage the Senate.

“There should be open-mindedness. Instead, conclusions have been made,” he lamented.

Valdez, for his part, said the subcommittee was looking at the wrong angle in attempting to connect Tiu with Binay.

He pointed out the explanation given by Tiu was more believable under common practice and the law. – With Edu Punay