Toby Tiangco: VP Binay’s affidavit enough to answer allegations before Senate

The affidavit is enough. 

UNA interim president and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco on Wednesday said that while Vice President Jejomar Binay did not appear before the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, he had submitted a sworn statement in which he told the "truth."

 

This was Tiangco's response to a renewed invitation from Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III for the Vice President to attend the resumption of the public hearing on the corruption allegations against Binay and his allies on July 7.

 

In an interview on GMA News TV's News To Go, Tiangco said: "Unang una, hindi ho totoo na hindi siya sumagot sa Senado. Hindi siya nag-appear, pero nagpadala ho siya ng sworn affidavit."

 

He added: "Pagdating po sa Ombudsman, kung pasasagutin po si VP Binay, sasagot po si VP Binay doon po sa order ng Ombudsman."

 

Tiango then asked: "Ano ba ang mas mahalaga, 'yung isang taong nagpupunta doon na puro kasinungalingan 'yung sinasabi?"

 

He cited as examples former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, who alleged that Binay owned a 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas that even had an air-conditioned piggery, as well as lawyer Renato Bondal, who said cakes given to senior citizens in Makati for their birthdays were overpriced by as much as P1,000.

 

He added that the senators were not contended with the statements the said witnesses made in the hearings, despite the errors.

 

"Si Vice Mayor Mercado, ilang beses na po siyang nagsinungaling under oath... Ibig sabihin pinapayagan nilang magsinungaling. Ibig sabihin po ba ng Senate blue ribbon [sub]committee, mas mahalaga 'yung pumunta ka doon kahit kasinungalingan 'yung sasabihin mo kaysa 'yung gagawa ka ng sinumpaang salaysay na sasabihin mo ang katotohanan?" he said.

 

On Tuesday, Pimentel extended the invitation in response to the Vice President's letter, where he dared the senator, "Magpakalalaki ka."

 

"This may be your final chance to address point-by-point all the issues and allegations hurled against you in the course of the hearings," Pimentel wrote. 

 

He added: "I most respectfully suggest that you attend because only the truth can set you free."

 

The Senate repeatedly invited the Vice President to attend the hearings in the past, but he refused to show up, with his camp saying the Senate is not the proper forum to discuss the allegations. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ, GMA News