Businessman Antonio Tiu has yet to submit to the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee the documents to prove his ownership of the farm estate in Rosario, Batangas which has been alleged to belong to Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said Wednesday.
“Hanggang ngayon wala pa rin. So bukas sa start ng hearing, magpapa-update tayo sa committee secretariat kung kumusta na ba yung written contract na nabanggit ni Mr. Antonio Tiu,” said Pimentel, who chairs the subcommittee.
“Nag break pa kami nung Oct. 22 para tawagan nya yung opisina na ipadala sa Senate yung dokumento, natapos na yung hearing wala pa. Hanggang ngayon as of this afternoon wala pa,” he added.
Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado had testified at the Senate that the Batangas property is owned by Binay. The Vice President has denied the allegation.
Pimentel said he expects James Tiu, brother of the trader, and his wife Anne Loraine Buencamino to attend Thursday’s hearing. The couple reportedly donated P15 million to the campaign kitty of Binay in 2010.
He said the subcommittee also summoned Gregorio Laureano, owner of the property in Batangas before Tiu bought it. Gregorio is also the owner of Agri-Fortuna who supposedly bought Binay’s piggery in Batangas in 2010.
“Wala namang nagko-confirm pero na subpoena po sila so they don’t need to confirm, nakasulat sa subpoena na ‘fail not under penalty of law’,” Pimentel said.
Asked what the subcommittee will do if those summoned will not appear on Thursday, the senator said they will asked for an explanation first.
“If convinced kami na na-serve ang subpoena at hindi po nag comply then option namin na ipa-explain bakit hindi nagko-comply sa subpoena. And then after the explanation, if we are satisfied, then that’s the end of the story. If we are not satisfied, then we’ll recommend punitive or penalties to be imposed on the person subpoenaed,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News
