New plunder raps filed vs Junjun: Over P828-M IT contracts

MANILA, Philippines – Dismissed Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. and 11 officers of two Information Technology (IT) companies were charged with plunder and graft yesterday before the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged questionable contracts worth over P828 million from 2008 to 2014.

The latest criminal complaint against Binay was filed by lawyer Renato Bondal.

Bondal, former chairman of Barangay Palanan, ran but lost to Binay in the 2013 polls.

In his complaint, Bondal accused the dismissed mayor of using dummy corporations linked to his father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, to steal public funds.

The other respondents were Codeworks.PH Inc. (CPI) officials Marguerite Lichnock, Lily Crystal, Arlene Viclar, Ramona Yuson and Mitzi Sedillo.

 Bondal said Lichnock is the wife of Gerry Limlingan, believed to be a trusted aide of the Vice President who allegedly holds joint accounts with the elder Binay and Eduvijes Baloloy.

Bondal alleged that CPI bagged more than P548 million worth of contracts with the city government.

Also charged were Powerlink.com Corp. officers Hirene Lopez, Edgardo Lacson, Jacqueline Arevalo, Allan Tienzo, Ferdinand Diaz and Gerardo Martin Limlingan.

Bondal claimed that Lopez holds several joint accounts with Gerry Limlingan, who is the father of Gerardo Martin.

Bondal claimed that CPI and Powerlink are owned by the Vice President’s allies.

The two IT firms design, develop, manufacture and sell computer programs, equipment, hardware and software and provide consultancy services.

Bondal claimed that the contracts awarded to these firms were rendered fictitious because their work was done by the city hall’s Urban Development Department.

“During the term of Vice President Binay as Makati mayor, it was standard operating procedure that all biddings were rigged and prearranged so that these contracts were won by chosen companies,” he said.

“The use of corporate dummies showed that the Binays had interest on the financial windfalls generated by these companies through assured awards of lucrative contracts from the Makati City government,” Bondal added.

Claiming to expose what he tags as the “Binay syndicate,” which was revealed at hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee, Bondal said he filed the complaint “to give justice to the people of Makati who have been defrauded for 29 years with taxpayers’ money stolen through ingenious use of dummy companies contracting with the city government.”  

‘Work of fiction’

The Vice President’s camp called the latest plunder complaint against his son as another “work of fiction.”

“For Mr. Bondal and his generous political sponsors, we can only pray for their enlightenment. May the Christmas season remind them the value of truth over selfish gain,” Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman for media affairs, said. – With Helen Flores