VP upset Nancy Binay's payment for cakes was delayed—ex-official

A former Makati City official backed up on Thursday the statement of former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado that it was Senator Nancy Binay who supplied the cakes distributed by the city to the senior citizens of the city during their birthdays.

 

The daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay again denied the allegation adding that, because of the controversy, she might just make true her dream of owning a bakeshop.

 

Mario Hechanova,  former head of the city’s General Services Department, said then Mayor Jejomar Binay even scolded him because of the delayed payments for the cakes.

The Vice President was mayor of Makati for 18 years.

 

“Minsan po pinatawag niya ako, tapos sabi niya ano bang nangyayari sa payment ng cake ni Nancy,” Hechanova said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee hearing on the alleged overpriced construction of Makati City Hall Building II.

 

Hechanova said he did not process the payment because the list of the recipients of cakes from the City Social Welfare Development Department was incomplete.

 

“Kasi yung mga cake na dini-deliver nila, nanggagaling yung list sa DSWD, yung iba walang pirma sa recipients. Dahil ia-account ako dun hindi ko pinaprocess yung bayad. Ang pinafollow-up po e yung bayad sa cake na dineliver sa senior citizen, kinagalitan ako dahil tumatagal ang bayad,” he said.

 

In an earlier hearing of the committee, Mercado said it was Nancy Binay that supplied the cakes to the city government.

 

Nancy Binay, in an interview with reporters, denied the allegations. She said Hechanova had no evidence to prove it.

 

“Ilang beses man nilang ulit-ulit e hanggang ngayon wala pa silang hard evidence para sabihin na ako yung nagsu-supply ng cake. Nakakalungkot lang dahil sa hearing puro sinungaling ang pine-present nilang resource persons,” Nancy Binay said.

 

Asked if it was the right time to present the supplier of the cakes, Binay said she believed so but thought it would be an exercise in futility as the Binay family's accusers had already closed their minds for any explanation.

 

“Baka it’s high time na tanungin nila 'yun. Bakit ako yung pilit na sinasabi nila pero I think kahit naman magsalita yung supplier ng cake, sasabihin ng mga magiging katunggali ng aking ama sa 2016 na front lang 'yan," Nancy Binay said.

"Ginagamit lang ang pangalan niyan pero ang supplier talaga niyan ako pa din,” she lamented.

 

Nancy Binay said she was confident that truth will come out eventually.

 

The senator said she was studying if there was a need to file a case against their accusers but she thought it would just be a waste of time and money.

“Iniisip ko yung ipambabayad ko sa abugado idadagdag ko na lang sa tulong sa mga taong lumalapit dito sa amin. Syempre tao lang din naman kaming nasasaktan pero iniisip ko na may mga anak ako, may mga anak kaming magkakapatid, apektado sila e,” Nancy Binay said.

 

On a lighter note, Nancy Binay said that after the controversy she would push through with her plan to set up a bakeshop.

 

“Pagkatapos nito talagang magnenegosyo na ako ng cake. Talagang yun yung next venture ko, to open a bakeshop. Kasi yung isa kong friend from Bacolod, sa kanila yung Felicia’s masarap yung chocolate cake nila at ensaymada. So finally na-convince ko na siya na mag-put up ng branch so  kumbaga joint venture naming dalawa,” she added.

 

She even kidded: “meron akong free publicity ngayon dahil ako daw nagsu-supply ng cake sa Makati.”

 

“Hindi ko pa lang maorasan pero yun ang aking next venture, next baby kasi nga hindi ako marunong mag-bake kaya kumukuha ako ng expertise nung kaibigan ko,” Nancy Binay said. —NB, GMA News