Maniolas

Despite the issues surrounding Makati Homeville, Vice President Jejomar Binay said on Friday that the city’s relocation site in Calauan, Laguna is a model in the housing sector.  “Magtanong ho kayo sa housing sector — modelo ho kami ng naglilikas at naglilipat ng taga-Makati,” he said in an exclusive report on “24 Oras.”    However, residents of the relocation site have complained about the lack of electricity and water in their new homes.  To this, Binay said it was former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado’s fault, saying his former ally owns Twinleaf Construction, the contractor that was supposed to provide amenities for the relocation site. Mercado, on the other hand, admitted that he and two of his children are part owners of Twinleaf, stressed he was not connected to the firm until years after the project was finished in 2008.  “Ako ay nagkaroon ng partisipasyon sa Twinleaf noong 2013 hanggang ngayon. ‘Di ko tinatanggi na ako ang presidente niyan,” he said.  At the time the recolation was done, Mercado’s participation was only as the city’s vice mayor–not as a stakeholder in Twinleaf.  Part of his job then was to make sure the permits for the project are complete. This did not include electric and water lines. He said that was already the job of the engineering department of Makati.  “Marami kami meeting ng Engineering, ‘di ko na alam ano nangyari dahil na-cut na relasyon ko sa kanila. ‘Di ko alam bakit ‘di na-process or nabayaran,” he explained.  Phase 1  Read More …

An ordinance signed by Makati Mayor Junjun Binay in 2013 authorized the city government to open the allegedly overpriced Makati Friendship Suites to the public to generate more income for the city.  City Ordinance No. 2013-A-018 said that it was the Commission on Audit that recommended the opening of the hotel to the public.  “The Commission on Audit, through Audit Observation Memorandum No. 2011-039, has recommended the opening of Makati Friendship Suites to the public for a fee to generate income for the city government,” said City Ordinance No. 2013-A-018.  According to the ordinance, the hotel will have an introductory rate of P2,100 per room per day. It also stated that although it is open to the public, it should reserve 15 rooms for the use of the city’s guests.  Before opening it to the public, the Makati Friendship Suites was only meant for use by the city’s official guests and to paying transient visitors when Vice President Jejomar Binay was mayor. Overpriced In the recent Senate blue ribbon subcommittee hearings, lawyer Rene Bondal testified that the hotel was overpriced by P195 million.  In 2007, the city also set aside P120 million for the rehabilitation of the Makati Friendship Suites, but the contractor, ITP Construction, said at the Senate hearing on Jan. 22 that the hotel revamp cost P242 million. “Na-implement po ito in three phases. Phase One is about P119 million. Phase Two is about P90 million. And then the third is about P33 million,” said ITP Construction president Read More …

Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam, had new mug shots taken at the Correctional Institute for Women after she was transferred to the facility early Thursday morning, a report on “24 Oras” showed. The Makati Regional Trial Court earlier this week convicted Napoles of serious illegal detention in connection with the complaint of her former trusted aide, pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy. A video showed Napoles garbed in a prisoner’s orange uniform while her pictures and fingerprints were taken at the CIW’s Reception and Diagnostics Center. She also went through a physical examination, which in part found her blood pressure during the transfer at a “manageable” 130 over 90. Napoles will be at the reception and diagnostics area for two months to help her get used to the women’s prison. She won’t have visitors for a week except for her lawyers and immediate family. The report said Napoles would be kept in the same facility as illegal recruiters and “pyramid scam queen” Rose Baladjay. -NB, GMA News

Vice President Jejomar Binay’s public satisfaction rating sunk to an all-time low in the first quarter of 2015, while those of other top officials and key institutions appeared to recover or remained steady, a poll taken by the Social Weather Stations found. While Binay’s latest rating remained in “good” territory at +31 (satisfied percentage minus dissatisfied percentage), it had dropped 13 points from December’s +44. This was also the fourth straight quarter in which Binay’s ratings took a dip since the +73 in March 2014. Respondents satisfied with his Binay fell to 58 percent in the first quarter from the 65 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014. Those dissatisfied went up to 28 percent from 20 percent. Binay faces charges of corruption, including a complaint that alleged the Makati City Hall Building II was overpriced. The vice president has denied the charges, countering that these were politically motivated. Other officials Senate President Franklin Drilon’s ratings improved, as his net satisfaction rating rose to a “good” +35 in the first quarter, from a “moderate” +28 in December. Those satisfied with Drilon’s performance increased to 57 from 53 percent, while those dissatisfied fell to 22 from 25 percent. Drilon had a “good” net satisfaction rating in three quarters since September 2013, and “moderate” in four. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., meanwhile, saw his net satisfaction rating stay at “moderate” +12. Some 38 percent were satisfied with Belmonte, compared to 36 percent in 2014’s fourth quarter. Those dissatisfied increased slightly to 26 Read More …