Alan Peter Cayetano: I don’t make fun of kidnapping

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday denied making fun of kidnapping as claimed by businessman Antonio Tiu, maintaining that he always worked for the protection of the Filipino-Chinese community.

“Never kong ginawang biro ang kidnapping. I’ve been in government service since 1992. I’ve always worked for the protection of the Filipino-Chinese community that I’m very close to. I might not look it, but I have Chinese blood,” Cayetano said in his opening speech at the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee's hearing on the Makati City Hall Building II.

 

Cayetano said it was Tiu who made himself vulnerable to criminals by saying that the worth of his company was P5 billion and he is a very successful businessman.

 

“So tinanong ko lang siya, ‘Are you willing to open the bank account of the compmay kasi ang balita ko, may perang tumatakbo between that and the law offices of the Binays at pinaiikot nyo lang ang pera.’ Siya ang nagsabing, ‘Sir, you are subjecting me to kidnapping’,” Cayetano said.

 

“Sinagot ko siya, ‘How can I be subjecting you to kidnapping kung ikaw na nagsabi na may limang bilyon ka.’ Sabi niya, shares naman yan hindi cash. Sinabi ko na matatalino ang kidnappers, alam nila ang mayaman at hindi,” he added.

 

Cayetano also pointed out that it was Tiu who was laughing when they were discussing that issue.

 

“Ang problema kinut po ni Mr. Tiu yung palitan namin, siya nga yung tawa nang tawa habang nagsasabi ng kidnappin nung hearing. Ako, seryoso palagi pag ito ang pinag uusapan,” he said.

 

He added that Tiu just used that incident to justify his absence in the hearing Thursday. Cayetano also assured the Filipino-Chinese community that he will not take kidnapping or any crime lightly.

 

On Wednesday, Tiu told a news conference that Cayetano made fun of kidnapping just to force him to waive his rights and let the Senate scrutinize his bank accounts. 

 

The trader said he will not open his bank accounts as doing so would put him and his family under the risk of being kidnapped.

 

Tiu is the owner of Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp., which supposedly has real and enforceable rights over the 145-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas being alleged to be among Vice President Jejomar Binay's property.

 

In a previous hearing, Tiu maintained that he bought the property from Laureano Gregorio, but some senators suspect that Tiu and his company are just acting as dummies of Binay. It was former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado who claimed that the Binay family owns the 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas. 

Binay has since denied Mercado's allegation. — RSJ, GMA News