The Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee, chaired by Sen. Koko Pimentel, resumes its inquiry on the alleged overpricing of the 11-storey new Makati City II Parking Building, the 22-storey Makati City Hall Building and related anomalies. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday vowed to provide protection for Gerardo “Gerry” Limlingan Jr. should he decide to show up at the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee’s hearings on the corruption allegation against Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Trillanes asked Victor Limlingan, who was present in Wednesday’s hearing, to tell Gerardo to appear before the subcommittee hearings. Gerardo is Binay’s longtime financial officer.
Gerry and several others have been ordered arrested by the Senate for their repeated failure to appear before the committee since it began the hearings last year.
At the resumption of the hearings on Wednesday, Victor told Trillanes he had not communicated with his brother. He said he wanted “to honor my agreement with him” that only Gerry will call him for security reasons.
In turn, the senator said, “Kung sakaling magkaroon kayo ng malasakit sa kaniya, iparating n’yo na tatanggapin namin siya dito sa Senado. Poprotektahan namin siya.”
He added that the same goes for Gerardo’s common-law wife, Marguerite Lichnock, whose name has appeared repeatedly in documents and testimonies presented in the hearings.
“We are very sincere in protecting them. Tingnan n’yo naman, gaya nina Vice Mayor Mercado, nandito sila lahat ngayon at hindi nangangamba sa kanilang buhay,” he said.
Last week, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III called for a nationwide manhunt against Gerardo.
The senator sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, and the public in searching for Gerardo.
“We have to find Mr. Gerry Limlingan and hear his testimony before we can even think of terminating our hearing,” Pimentel said. (MNS)