Return the money from deals, Makati Representative Binay dares accuser

Makati Representative Abigail Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines—Makati City Rep. Abigail Binay on Wednesday said former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, who has accused her brother and father of corruption, should “come clean about how much ill-gotten wealth he has acquired” and return these to the government to prove himself a credible whistle-blower.

The daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay and sister of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay turned the tables on her family’s accuser, saying Mercado should follow the “rule of restitution” as he had earlier admitted to pocketing kickbacks himself.

“By his own admission, Mercado profited from his anomalous transactions with contractors of the city government. He should then quantify how much he had earned and return everything to the government coffers,” the congresswoman said.

The Vice President and the mayor are the subject of a corruption investigation by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee that has so far uncovered allegedly irregular Makati government infrastructure contracts and alleged unexplained wealth of the Binay family.

The two have refused to attend the Senate subcommittee hearings, preferring to defend themselves through spokespersons and official statements delivered by the two other family members holding government positions—the congresswoman and another sister, Sen. Nancy Binay.

“We vehemently deny his [Mercado’s] accusations against the Vice President, none of which he has been able to prove true so far. His continued failure to present any evidence that would stand up in a court of law has rendered incredible and mere hearsay all of his testimonies at the Senate hearings,” the congresswoman said.

Earlier, Abigal Binay released a list of United States properties allegedly owned by Mercado, which include two pieces of real estate in California, particularly on Saffron County, Rancho Cucamonga and Green Street in Pasadena.

She said the information was easy to access via the Internet as the properties were “either under the name of the wife or the children of Mercado”.

Included on the list are a 500-hectare Hunter Valley Plantation and Resort in Cabanatuan City; Grand Villa Pateros; Grand Villa and Butterfly Center in Bay, Laguna; Nitz Face and Body Center in Pateros; Lawndale Finance in Cabanatuan City; St. Therese Multi-Specialty Services Hospital and Clinic in Pembo, Makati; the 100-hectare Coron Underwater Garden Hotel and Resort in Palawan; and JMK Manpower Solutions in West Rembo, Makati.

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