Senate panel willing to bring probe to VP Binay’s palace

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday expressed openness to holding a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2 at the Coconut Palace, the official residence of the Vice President Jejomar Binay.

 

“If the Vice President is more comfortable sa Coconut Palace, I will make the motion for him. I will move that the committee together with the staff move to the Coconut Palace,” Cayetano told reporters after the inquiry on Thursday.

 

The committee decided to invite Binay to the hearing on September 25 to allow him to defend himself from the accusations of his former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado that he received a 13-percent kickback from every infrastructure contract the city entered into during his tenure as Makati mayor. 

 

It will also send a subpoena to Makati Mayor Erwin ‘Junjun’ Binay; a certain Ebeng Baloloy, reportedly the Vice President’s secretary; and Gerry Limlingan, finance officer.

 

Cayetano said the venue of the hearing was not important to the committee as long as the Vice President would testify under oath.

 

“Hindi importante kung saan. Ang importante yung proseso and then under oath yung kanyang testimony,” he said.

 

Cayetano added that the committee would only need a room to conduct the hearing.

 

“They provide a room and we will have the hearing there, they can provide the security, they can make sure that the Vice President is comfortable,” Cayetano said.

 

“Kung yung intimidation ng physical setting dito sa Senate o sa tingin niya o gusto niyang i-jampack ng mga kakampi niya ang Coconut Palace, walang problema sa amin yun,” he added.

 

He said that the Blue Ribbon earlier did the same when then General Carlos Garcia was confined in a hospital and the committee needed to get his testimony regarding the alleged corruption in the military. —NB, GMA News