VP Binay posts bail for graft, other raps over P2.2-B building

Ex-VP Jejomar Binay entering Sandiganbayan 3rd Div Office of the Clerk of Court pic.twitter.com/oJma47dX9q

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) July 15, 2016

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday posted a P376,000 bail bond before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan in exchange for his provisional liberty.

Binay is facing multiple counts of graft, malversation and falsification raps before the anti-graft court in connection with the alleged overpriced construction of the P2.28-billion Makati parking building.

Arriving with his lawyers on Friday afternoon, Binay immediately proceeded to the Sandiganbayan Third Division Office of the Clerk of Court for booking procedure.

Binay posted bail shortly after the Sandiganbayan En Banc decided to refer the cases to the Third Division chaired Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.

Based on the receipt from the Sandiganbayan Cashier's Office Binay Sr. posted in cash a total of P376,000.

The bail bond that Binay posted included P120,000 for four counts of graft (P30,000 for each count), P216,000 for nine counts of falsification (P24,000 for each count) and P40, 000 for one count malversation.

Meanwhile, Binay’s son dismissed Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay Jr. also posted P100,000 bail bond on Friday.

The bail that the younger Binay posted in cash was for two counts of graft and one count of malversation as a co-accused of his father.

After posting their bail, the Binays proceeded to the office of Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice and Third Division chair, Amparo Cabotaje-Tang for a courtesy briefing on court rules.

They then left the Sandiganbayan building immediately, refusing to grant an interview with the media.

On the other hand, the other respondents who also posted bail on Friday include:

• Former city administrator Marjorie De Veyra
• Former city legal officer Pio Kenneth Dasal
• Former budget officer Lorenza Amores
• Former city central planning management heads Virginia Hernandez and Line Dela Peña
• Former BAC head Giovanni Condes
• Former BAC vice chariman Ulysses Orienza
• Former BAC Secretariat head Manolito Uyaco
• Former BAC Technical Working Group chairman Rodel Nayve
• Former city engineers Arnel Cadangan and Emerito Magat
• Former city accountant Cecilio Lim III
• Former acting city accountant Raydes Pestaño
• Former city treasurer Nelia Barlis
• Former General Services Department officer Norman Flores
• Efren Canlas of Hilmarc’s Construction Company (Hilmarc’s)

Three other respondents in the cases, namely former city engineer Mario Badillo, former city accountant Leonila Querijero and private individual Orlando Mateo of Mana Architecture and Interior Design, Co. (MANA) have yet to post bail as of the closing of the Third Division Office of the Clerk of Court on Friday afternoon.
 

Based on the information of the cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday, the Binay father and son, in conspiracy with the other city officials, awarded a contract to Mana Architecture and Interior Design, Co. (MANA) for the design of Makati City Hall Building II project, allegedly without holding a public bidding.

The Ombudsman said payments totaling P11,011,294.77 was given to MANA “despite its failure to deliver the approved plans and specifications under the contract”.

The Ombudsman said the Binay father and son also awarded three contracts totaling P1.486 billion to Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation for Phases One, Two and Three of the project through a rigged or  “simulated public bidding”.

The Ombudsman said the contracts were awarded to Hilmarc’s despite the absence of approved budget appropriation, project plan, and specifications.

The Ombudsman said the invitation to bid supposedly published in the tabloid Balita was falsified.

The Ombudsman said the Binay father and son approved the release of payments to Hilmarc’s despite being fully aware that its accomplishment reports were “baseless” as there were no supporting documents submitted to back them.

Earger to proveinnocense

In a statement sent to reporters on Friday, lawyer Daniel Subido, a member of the elder Binay’s legal team, said: “Former Vice President Jejomar C. Binay is eager to go to court to prove the grave abuses of the Ombudsman and have these frivolous case dismissed.”

Subido maintained that the cases are weak.

“There is no specific act attributed against VP Binay that would constitute a crime in the [case]  Informations filed by the Ombudsman other than a tenuous conclusion of conspiracy,” Subido said.

“It must also be emphasized that the Commission on Audit has not issued up to this date (or nearly a decade) any audit observation memo or disallowances on the payments made over the subject project,” he added. —NB/LBG, GMA News