Source: Malaya Business Insight
Binay and Mercado
WHAT credibility can one get from this?
Vice President Jejomar Binay allegedly received 13 percent in kickbacks from the projects undertaken by Makati City while he was the city mayor, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado claimed yesterday.
Testifying at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2, Mercado said he personally delivered the money separately contained in three duffle bags.
He said the bags were marked “J” for the vice president’s son, then Makati Councilor Junjun Binay; “E” for Binay’s personal assistant “Ebeng;” and “G” for Gerry Limlingan, another aide of the vice president.
Junjun’s bag was allegedly for the family while “Ebeng’s” was allegedly for the vice president, according to Mercado, the vice president’s former ally now turned political foe.
Limlingan’s bag, on the other hand, was allegedly for Binay’s vice presidential campaign funds.
No senator, however, pointed out that Binay and Mercado had already parted ways long before the vice president sought higher office.
Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, Binay’s spokesman for political affairs, said Mercado’s statement, without any evidence, “will not stand in a court of law but only in a kangaroo court where judgment has been rendered even before the hearing started.”
“Like the former general services head Mario Hechanova, Mercado conveniently used the name of a dead person to make malicious and baseless allegations against the Vice President and his family. They should stop using the name of a dead person, in the process hurting his family who are still grieving from his death a year ago,” said Remulla.
The vice president and his son are facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for the allegedly overpriced Makati building worth over P2 billion.
Mercado, during the previous hearing, admitted he “benefited” from the Makati building and said it was likely Vice President Binay did as well since he was the mayor at the time.
“Sa bawat project sa Makati ang aming mayor ay nakikinabang ng 13 percent sa bawat project. Sinabi ko rin po sa phase 1 (of the Makati building) lang ako nagkaroon ng direct participation hanggang masingil ang halagang P400 million. Kaya kung kukunin po natin ang 13 percent, ito ay example lang, lalabas po diyan ay P52 million,” Mercado told senators.
He said it was former City Engineer Nelson Morales who arranged the money separately and delivered it to his office for distribution. Morales was killed in an ambush in Albay in 2012.
“Bawat collection may dine-deliver si Engr. Morales sa aking office kagaya ng mga bags na ito. Bags na may letters na J, E and G,” he said, showing three bags during the hearing.
Each bag contained bundles of money amounting to P1.5 million to P2 million and were locked, he said.
In return, Mercado claimed, Binay promised him P120 million in funds for Mercado’s political party. But he only got P80 million in the end, under Binay’s orders, he alleged.
Mercado alleged that Binay had raised over P1 billion through kickbacks for the 2010 elections, funding the Vice President’s campaign, as well as the campaigns of his children.
When Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV asked why Binay got 13 percent and not any more and any less, Mercado said it was possible other Makati officials also got kickbacks as well.
The alleged kickbacks were also delivered during the term of his wife Dr. Elenita Binay. Mercado said it was now Sen Nancy Binay who accepted the money.
Even as councilor, Mercado said he got “allowances” amounting to P15,000 to P20,000 from Binay which started in 1992.
The money was coursed to them through a certain “Atty. Ignacio” who told Mercado and other councilors: “Basta good boy kayo, masaya kayo dito.”
The “allowance increased through the years. In 1995, they would sometimes get between P50,000-70,000 on top of a regular P30,000 “allowance.”
Also during the hearing, a losing bidder in the firefighting and rescue equipment for the city confirmed he was the bidder who was “trapped” in an elevator while on his way to submit documents to the Bids and Awards Committee.
Marcial Lichauco Jr., president and general manager of 911 Alarm, said he heard over the radio the testimony of Mario Hechanova, former Makati general services department head, before the Senate blue ribbon committee regarding a bidder who was trapped in the elevator.
“It sounded very similar (to) what happened to us in Makati City Hall. I confirm that I was the bidder who was trapped in the elevator on May 15, 2007,” he told the committee.
Last Thursday, Hechanova said during the hearing they “trapped” a bidder in an elevator to stop him from going to the bidding to favor a favored contractor.
Lichauco said they arrived at the city hall at 12:53 p.m. on that day for the 2 p.m. deadline for the submission of documents on the 9th floor.
“Elevator B got stuck. We were actually trapped for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The elevator was very full. It took a long time before the Makati Rescue came. They were not able to extricate us until 1:55 p.m. after bringing the elevator back to the ground floor,” he said.
He said they were able to submit their documents at 2:02 p.m.
“We were disqualified because we were late. We filed a motion for reconsideration and a motion questioning the eligibility of the winning bidder on May 17, 2007,” he said.
Marjorie de Veyra, former city administrator, was present at the committee hearing and denied intentionally “trapping” Lichauco in the elevator to disqualify him.
Hechanova, on the other hand, was not present in yesterday’s hearing.
No comments:
Post a Comment