KOKO HINTS PROVE FAILED TO PROVE OVERPRICE Written by Angie M. Rosales Monday, 20 October 2014 00:00 font size HALT OF BINAY INVESTIGATION LOOMS The head of the Senate subcommittee investigating Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family for alleged anomalies raised the possibility of halting the probe admitting yesterday of the likelihood that the body failed to prove allegations of overprice on the Makati City Hall 2 building which was the subject of the inquiry. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who filed the resolution that started the probe, will be made to justify the continuation of the subcommittee hearings if the findings on the overprice allegations appeared to be on the contrary, Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee chairman Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel said. “I cannot disclose yet whatever will be my recommendations. But theoretically speaking, the possibilities on our findings could be that there’s no overpricing. I will ask the author (Trillanes) of the resolution to put to a stop on our probe because the findings on the initial at hand are already negative,” Pimentel said. “Let the author argue if that will be my recommendation. But if he will argue still, he should justify that the investigation still falls under Resolution 826 (that he filed),” Pimentel said, referring to the supposed rationale behind move placing under investigation the Vice President. Trillanes earlier said the subcommittee will drag on for at least eight sessions more because of new issues uncovered against Binay and his family who are either in former or current government posts. Senator Jinggoy Estrada also came to the defense of Binay as he assailed the move of the Department of Justice (DoJ) to join the fray, so to speak, in looking into the veracity of charges being hurled at the country’s second highest official. The DoJ is at it again, engaging in politicking by discrediting personalities from the ranks of the political opposition perceived to be “threats” to administration bets, the senator said. Estrada was obviously referring to the 2016 presidential elections saying “I can’t help but think this is but a déjà vu.” The senator currently detained for alleged misuse of his pork barrel funds had repeatedly claimed in the past the investigations made against him and two other colleagues – Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile – were but aimed at discrediting members of the opposition. Both Estrada and Revilla are planning to seek a higher position after their respective term of office expires two years from now while Enrile is considered one of the influential and major force in the political opposition. Pimentel said that while they have set a schedule for the next two public hearings on Oct. 22 and 30, he had started drafting his partial report on the issue only on the alleged overpriced parking building for submission to the plenary before December. The probe has branched into other charges against Binay from the initial investigation of the allegedly overpriced building. But the senator was cautious in discussing the details of his findings and recommendations, even refusing to be badgered whether there will be any endorsement of possible filing of any administrative and criminal charges by the Ombudsman on those who will be found liable of committing any violation of the laws. “No. 2 (possible outcome of the panel report) is if the sub-committee chair agrees that there is indeed overpricing...then we will compare the list on those supposedly liable in the overpricing to those already included in a filed case. If there are some names not part of the case, we will ask the Ombudsman to include them, in the event that they file formal charges in court,” he explained. Although Binay already made a pronouncement that he will not submit himself before Pimentel’s committee, believing that he had been already prejudged by Senate probers, the panel will still attempt to lure him into appearing before the senators and defend himself over the growing number of allegations. Pimentel said they will invite anew the Vice President to attend the Oct. 30 proceedings and if he refuses still, there will be no negative presumption of guilt on the part of Binay. “Before when we invited him, there were serious charges about kickbacks and how it was distributed but when the issue turned to his alleged ownership of a hacienda in Batangas we need to inviute him again and hope that he replies,” Pimentel said. “If the invitation is declined, there would be no negative presumption of guilt but if he accepts it then he will be placed under oath,” Pimentel said. Pimentel said he has opted to issue an invitation to Binay, not for the scheduled hearing this Wednesday but on the Oct. 30 proceedings to give the Vice President enough time to clear his schedules. They will not take it against the Vice President, should he refuse their invitation, but Binay will not have any of his defense place on record, including evidence disproving the allegations against him. “That is the price they have to pay if they do not want to place their evidence on record,” Pimentel said. There are various areas of legislation which will be included in the draft report as hearings will wrap-up in the next two scheduled dates such as a measure calling on the Commission on Audit (CoA) to modernize and update the placement of auditors in any government agencies and local government units. “We will advice COA to modernized and update their way of thinking,” Pimentel said. Pimentel said the sub-committee will also recommend the review and study of the Procurement Law, a reform policy which being circumvented by some unscrupulous persons. “The procurement law has been in place, we want to know how anomalies continue,” Pimentel said. “What the DoJ is currently doing against Vice President Binay has already been done to us, the three senators who were the sole targets of the alleged PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) scam investigation. “It started with an allegation, purposely to besmirch the reputation of the members of the opposition. Then the publication of successive malicious headlines screaming how corrupt the accused are. After this the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, became a conduit in demonizing us,” Estrada said in a press statement. “Notice how many people, how much precious time, how much government resources are spent towards the ultimate agenda of bringing one man down. And what for? Obviously, to ensconce themselves in positions of power, and preventing perceived threats from gaining power. “Can’t all these resources, time and talent be put to better use other than partisan politicking and mudslinging? How many cases now are pending before the DOJ for resolution?” he asked. Estrada highlighted the apparent interest being given by the DoJ on cases involving political personalities rather than attend to the unresolved cases sitting before the department for disposition. According to the DOJ annual report, there were 81,659 pending cases before the DOJ on 2012 and the year before that, there were a total of 79,428 cases pending before the department. “I wonder how many cases are still pending before its offices while it laboriously looks into every detail on the life of the vice president. For instance, DoJ Undersecretary Jose Justiniano has been devoting all his time in the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) cases and attending hearings in the Sandiganbayan, Estrada pointed out. “Doesn’t he have any other important things to do being the undersecretary of the DOJ? Is he not confident in the capability of the members of the prosecution panel to carry out its mandated duty?” he asked.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 00:18:20 +0000
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