Oplan Nognog behind Mayor Binay’s ‘quick’ suspension, Senator Nancy says

By AMITA O. LEGASPI, GMA News

Published March 11, 2015 2:00pm

Sen. Nancy Binay on Wednesday accused the Aquino administration of using the Office of the Ombudsman in an alleged plot to discredit Vice President Jejomar Binay and members of his family as the 2016 presidential elections draws near.

The Ombudsman on Wednesday announced the preventive suspension for six months of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay just five days after the agency's special panel of investigators filed criminal and administrative charges against the Vice President, the mayor and several others in connection with the alleged overpricing of the P2.7-billion Makati City Hall Building II.

“Nung time ni President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo, ginamit ang Ombudsman para ipitin ang Vice President (who was still then Makati mayor) ngayon parang ganun pa rin,” Senator Binay told reporters.

“Isa lang ito sa gagamitin nilang strategy sa Oplan Nognog…. Naririnig na namin yung balita na may balak talaga, part ng Oplan Nognog is yung suspension sa kapatid ko, true enough parang mas mabillis pa sa alas-singko,” she added.

Oplan Nognog is the alleged operation to discredit Vice President Binay and diminish his chances of winning in the 2016 presidential elections. The presumptive standard bearer of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance has been leading the presidential preference surveys since 2010.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas, the ruling Liberal Party's leading choice for standard-bearer, has denied any role in an alleged plot to politically diminish Vice President Binay. The Vice President defeated Roxas for the post in 2010.

Senator Binay said the suspension order on her brother was definitely politically motivated.

“Hindi pa ba obvious na obvious (na may bahid pulitika) kasi parang last week lang ang balita e preliminary investigation tapos ngayon ito na. Bakit pag medyo kaalyado nila…may narinig na ba kayong nasuspend na ganitong kabilis?” Senator Binay said.

Told that the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II will resume Thursday, Binay said she believed it will continue until the filing of the certificate of candidacy in October.

“Hanggang sa filing (ng COC) sa October. Tuloy tuloy ang hearing. Sa ating Vice President, if you remember he’s an impeachable officer eh, kaya nagugulat kami bakit ganito yung proseso. There’s no impeachment complaint pero may effort na dun sa Ombudsman,” Senator Binay said.

Undue haste?

In a press statement, lawyer Rico Quicho, spokesperson of the Vice President, said the undue and deliberate haste in the implementation of the preventive suspension of Mayor Binay demonstratef the direction to which the Ombudsman would like to proceed with the case.

“It would have been desirable if the Ombudsman had scrutinized and evaluated the supporting documents so far presented in support of the complaint against Mayor Binay, Vice President Binay, and other respondents before a rash and precipitate action,” he said.

He added the Vice President and his family were ready to face the charges against them. He said they welcomed the opportunity to once again explain their side and answer all allegations being hurled against them by their political opponents.

Quicho further said that the Binays pray that the Ombudsman would not allow itself to fall victim "to the machinations of those with political ambitions."

“Mayor Binay, the Vice President and the other respondents would face the suspension and the complaint knowing that it is against a well-oiled government machinery that would not stop at nothing to persecute and prevent the political opposition from running in the upcoming election. The people will ultimately decide,” he said.

He expressed confidence that, in the end, the truth will prevail and that the Vice President and his family will be vindicated.

Demolition job

Navotas City Representative and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president Tobias “Toby” Tiangco, on Wednesday said Makati Mayor Junjun Binay’s suspension is a demolition job with questionable timing.

“I think Friday lang yung special investigation team, may presidential order na pinirmahan, tapos ngayon na serve na?” Tiangco told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

Tiangco also slammed the Aquino administration for its supposed “selective prosecution” of its opponents after the Ombudsman decided to proceed with its preliminary investigation of the alleged irregularities in the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II.

“Pati yung pag imbistiga nila sa Ombudsman, special investigation team. Alam naman natin pag may salitang special, ang trabaho nun hindi mag imbistiga, ang trabaho nun eh gawan ng kasalanan. Ang trabaho nun is to convict and not to investigate. The point is, ang dami daming division dun sa Office of the Ombudsman, why do they have to create a special investigation team?” Tiangco said.

“Talagang persecution ito eh,” he added.

No choice

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the Blue Ribbon subcommittee and a former partymate of the Binays, urged Mayor Binay to comply with the order of the Ombudsman.

“There’s no choice but to comply with Ombudsman order of suspension. Hindi naman laro laro yan. As local chief executive, any mayor should show to his or her constituents that he or she is ready and willing to follow the law when it is executed,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Senator Franklin Drilon said Mayor Binay should follow the order of the Ombudsman but he can still seek legal remedy from the Court of Appeals.

“Our colleagues here in the Senate accepted the suspension as part of the process. Certainly (there is a legal remedy to that), he can go to the Court of Appeals,” the Senate leaders told reporters when asked to comment. —with a report from Patricia Denise Chiu/NB, GMA News

Tags: makaticityhallbuildingii, junjunbinay, nancybinay, ombudsman