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 Aquilino Pimentel III said Wednesday the freeze order issued by the Court of Appeals on the 242 bank accounts of Vice President Jejomar Binay, his relatives, and friends was a vindication of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee.
“Klarong klaro na as a result yan ng Senate hearings or investigations,” Pimentel said.
He said that aside from the freeze order, different government agencies have already acted on the information which came out during the hearings.
“Si Antonio Tiu may tax evasion case sa BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), ang DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform) tinitignan na ang implementation ng land reform sa Rosario Batangas property, ang Ombudsman kinikilusan yung complaint for plunder, at ngayon na-trace na ang transactions. Marami nang bunga o resulta dahil sa hearing sa Senado,” he said.
Tiu has been accused of being a dummy of Binay in the 350-hectare property also referred to as Hacienda Binay.
The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee is investigating the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building II, Makati Science High School building, University of Makati College of Nursing building, other supposed Binay properties and alleged illegal transactions.
Pimentel said the subcommittee has already submitted to the Ombudsman documents regarding the Makati City Hall Building II.
“Nabigyan na namin ang Ombudsman, humingi sila a couple of months ago at binigay agad. Once pa lang naman sila nanghingi at yung sa Makati parking bulding pa lang ang dokumentong hiniling nila,” he said.
Pimentel said many of the names included in the freeze order were already mentioned during the hearing but he will no longer include the matter in the succeeding hearings.
“Karamihan dun naglabasan sa hearing ng blue ribbon subcommittee pero ang alegasyon sa resolution na dinirinig namin ay overpricing, graft and corruption kaya maglilimit na lang kami dun. Yung pagdating sa bank transactions, saan galing yan, gaano kalaki yan, ipapaubaya ko na sa Anti-Money Laundering Council or Ombudsman kasi malilihis na ako sa topic,” he said.
Pimentel said the freeze order is not yet an indication of guilt but just a self defense mechanism of the state in order to preserve the alleged ill-gotten wealth.
“Wala pang indication ito kung guilty or not. Binabantayan lang para hindi maubos ang laman ng bank accounts, temporary lang yan,” he said.
No violation committed
He added that the news organizations did not violate the confidentiality of the freeze order when they reported the issuance of the order.
“Yung fact na may order ay pwedeng maireport, kung nabasa mo yung news report e kulang naman sa detalye, ibig sabihin hindi niyan pinublish yung report kundi binalita lang na may freeze order na galing sa CA,” he said.
On the hearing of the subcommittee, Pimentel expressed hope the hearing on May 28 will be the last regarding the alleged transaction between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Alphaland.
“Sa May 28 hearing gusto ko na sana na last sa Boy Scouts kaya sisiguraduhin na andun si Roberto Ongpin at Senator Serge Osmeña. Pero meron pang ibang issue, meron pang Pag-IBIG at Makati main city hall na 22-storeys,” he said.
He also said that the blue ribbon mother committee chairman Sen Teofisto Guingona III promised that he will act soon on the recommendation to cite in contempt personalities defying the subpoena of the subcommittee including Gerry Limlingan, Binay’s alleged finance officer, and Tiu. (MNS)