Elenita Binay posts bail for second graft, malversation case

MANILA, Philippines - Former Makati City mayor Elenita Binay, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s wife, posted additional bail worth P70,000 before the Sandiganbayan yesterday.

The bail was for the second case of graft and malversation of public funds due to the alleged purchase of overpriced hospital beds and equipment for the Ospital ng Makati (Osmak) in 2003.

Mrs. Binay, who had slammed the revival of the criminal charges against her which were dismissed in 2011, had posted bail in the same amount last May for the first two cases.

Sandiganbayan Third Division clerk of court Dennis Pulma said the former mayor went through the usual procedure of submitting photographs, filling up a personal data sheet and giving fingerprint samples.

The anti-graft court has yet to issue arrest warrants for all four cases but Mrs. Binay decided to post bail ahead of time since she plans to travel abroad for a medical check-up.

Pulma said an arraignment date has yet to be scheduled by magistrates of the Third Division chaired by presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.

“Maybe that’s part of politics… but we’re strong and we support the Vice President,” Mrs. Binay told reporters when asked to comment about the cases filed against her and the accusations of corruption against her husband.

Binay’s camp had earlier questioned the revival of the cases against the Vice President’s wife, which were filed more than 10 years ago.

Defense lawyers said such “inordinate delay” violated the rules requiring the Office of the Ombudsman to act promptly on a case and thus violated the former mayor’s “right to due process and speedy resolution of the cases against her.”

Vice President Binay himself described the re-filing of the charges as “glaring acts of abuse of authority” aimed at attacking his family’s reputation ahead of the 2016 presidential elections.